JUDGE AIMEE POLLAK, TOWN JUSTICE
Judge Pollak was elected to the Town Court in November 2023 and began serving on January 2, 2024. Judge Pollak has dedicated her legal career to public service.
Judge Pollak grew up in Clarkstown and attended New City Elementary School, Felix Festa Junior High School, and Clarkstown North High School.
Judge Pollak then attended Yale University and NYU Law School, both of which she graduated from with honors, magna cum laude. While at NYU, she was elected to the Law Review. After graduating from NYU, Pollak clerked on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals for Judge Wilfred Feinberg. Pollak then worked as a civil prosecutor in the antitrust bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office for four years,
investigating and prosecuting healthcare business competition cases.
After eight years as a full-time stay at home mom to her children Sam and Ryan, in 2012, Pollak returned to legal work as a Staff Attorney at the Rockland County Legal Aid Society, where she defended homeowners and tenants facing foreclosure and eviction. At the start of 2018, Pollak left Legal Aid to work for Rockland County Surrogate’s Court Judge Keith Cornell as his court attorney. Pollak continues in that
position, now part time.
Judge Pollak is an active member of the Rockland County Bar Association and Rockland County Women’s Bar Association, having served on the board of directors for each. Judge Pollak is the co-chair of the Rockland County High School Mock Trial
Competition.
JUDGE LESLIE KAHN, TOWN JUSTICE
Judge Kahn has a 30-year legal career of dedicated public service and has continuously practiced law since graduating from Law School In 1991.
She served for twenty-five (25) years as a prosecutor with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and conducted hundreds of felony and misdemeanor hearings and trials. As a prosecutor she concentrated in the areas of domestic violence, juvenile crimes, alternative to incarceration programs and gun violence, and held the positions of Bureau Chief – Domestic Violence, Chief – Firearms Prosecution, Chief – Adolescent Diversion.
As Town Attorney for the Town of Clarkstown, Leslie has facilitated the swift investigation and prosecution of illegal multi-family dwellings in Clarkstown and significantly increased the number of prosecutions related to building and zoning code violations.
Judge Kahn was born and raised in New York City by a single divorced mom who worked numerous jobs to support her family. She learned at a young age the importance of hardwork and a good work ethic. She moved to Clarkstown in 1998 with her husband Paul, a lifelong resident, and has three sons, Michael, Steven, and Zachary.
JUDGE MICHAEL BONGIORNO, TOWN JUSTICE
Michael Bongiorno was appointed Clarkstown Town Justice by the Clarkstown Town Board in August 2023.
Bongiorno worked for 30 years as a prosecutor, serving 14 years as a trial attorney, homicide assistant and deputy bureau chief in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, 12 years as the elected District Attorney for Rockland County and 4 years as a senior counsel with the New York State Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force. Since 2012, Bongiorno has worked as a criminal defense attorney. Bongiorno is currently co-chair of the Rockland County Bar Association Criminal Law Committee and a long-time member of the CLE committee. He previously served on the Judicial Screening Committee.
As an ADA in Manhattan, Bongiorno tried more than 50 cases to verdict, including numerous homicide cases. For two years he managed the office’s legal training program and produced the office’s first comprehensive trial advocacy and homicide investigation manuals. In 1990, legendary Manhattan DA Robert M. Morgenthau promoted Bongiorno to the position of Deputy Bureau Chief where he was responsible for supervising 50 prosecutors.
In 1995, Governor George E. Pataki appointed Bongiorno as the Rockland County District Attorney following the resignation of the incumbent DA. Bongiorno was subsequently elected to three terms in office. Bongiorno modernized the office and implemented program and policies that led to a more than 40% reduction in reported crime during his tenure. Bongiorno emphasized the prosecution of repeat offender, violent offender and the drug networks that bred violent crime. Innovations included initiating Rockland’s first Drug Court to treat low-level nonviolent offender, updating and upgrading an unproductive Narcotics Task Force, working with other law enforcement agencies to create a Computer Crime Unit and Intelligence Center, and working closely with the FBI and U.S Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute governmental corruption. In 2006, Bongiorno personally tried and convicted Douglas Herrera for the high-profile murder of Mary Nagle.
From 2006-2007 Bongiorno’s fellow district attorneys elected him President of the New York State District Attorneys Association. In that capacity Bongiorno pushed for legislation that increased penalties for DWI offender, clarified and strengthened the law against pedophiles who trolled the Internet for victims, and played a key role in the adoption of laws designed to fight human sex and labor trafficking.
In 2008 Bongiorno then Attorney General Andrew Cuomo appointed Bongiorno as a senior counsel with the New York State Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force. Bongiorno managed the investigation and prosecution of organized crime activity. The investigations employed sophisticated techniques such as court-approved electronic eavesdropping, video surveillance and computer forensics.
Bongiorno is a graduate of Spring Valley High School, Yale University and an honors graduate of the Washington and Lee University School of Law.
JUDGE KEITH I BRAUNFOTEL, TOWN JUSTICE
Judge Braunfotel has practiced law for almost 30 years. He has diverse legal experience. He is former prosecutor from the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. In his private practice, he litigates both criminal and civil matters. He grew up in New City and is a product of the Clarkstown Central School District; attending Little Tor Elementary School, Felix Festa Middle School, and Clarkstown North High School. He has served as the President of the Rockland County Bar Association and was the Chair of the Assigned Counsel Plan (18b) for over 20 years. He taught business law at Rockland Community College for 15 years. He and his wife Joan have made Clarkstown their home for over 25 years, their sons Ethan and Matthew, are also products of the Clarkstown Central School District.
