[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15551]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE HON. JUDGE KMIOTEK OF THE 
                         CHEEKTOWAGA TOWN COURT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 11, 2005

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I stand here before you and this body to 
recognize the Honorable Judge Ronald E. Kmiotek, a man who has 
dedicated 38 years of devoted service protecting the public.
  Judge Kmiotek began his life of public service nearly four decades 
ago by taking a civil service test. He scored high enough to be offered 
positions with the New York State Police as well as the Border Patrol 
Service. However, the love he had for his home town of Cheektowaga, New 
York was too great to accept those positions. As a result he chose to 
serve with the Cheektowaga Police Department.
  For 25 years Judge Kmiotek valiantly served the Town of Cheektowaga 
as a guardian of the peace; while doing so he ascended to the rank of 
detective. Following his 25th year of service, he retired from the 
force or 5 years he expanded his services to the entire County of Erie 
while working as a Confidential Criminal Investigator for the Erie 
County District Attorney's Office.
  In 1994, Judge Kmiotek truly transcended the boundaries of political 
parties, when without a single party endorsement he was elected to the 
town Court of Cheektowaga by an overwhelming majority. The people he so 
caringly served displayed their gratitude toward the Judge that day. He 
not only won, but carried the five most prolific party lines in the 
area.
  While on the bench, Judge Kmiotek became widely known for his tough 
stance on crime. He was elected in a time when the smaller town of 
Cheektowaga had a higher DWI caseload than did the City of Buffalo. 
With his work cut out for him, the Judge began the slow and sometimes 
painstaking process of reforming the town he loved so much. For his 
efforts, he and his colleagues on the town bench were named the 
``Toughest Judges in Erie County.''
  Putting away DWI offenders was not the only thing the Judge has 
accomplished during his tenure. In 1997, Judge Kmiotek instituted a 
drug court. At the time it was only the second in the entire country. 
His court achieved a near 60 percent success rate, as well as seeing 98 
percent of the people who successfully completed the program continuing 
to be sober to this day.
  The Drug Court not only helped rehabilitate the narcotics offenders 
to reemerge into society as productive citizens, but also saved the 
County nearly $3 million a year in healthcare costs.
  When the Judge wasn't taking time out of his day to meet with the 
participants in the Drug Court program, or making the streets of 
Cheektowaga safer to drive on, he was spending time with his adoring 
family. He and his wife Irene have raised three wonderful children who 
have given them five equally remarkable grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the residents of the Town of Cheektowaga 
and all of New York's 27th Congressional District, I extend my 
sincerest gratitude to the Honorable Ronald Kmiotek for his enduring 
commitment to making Western New York a safer place to live.

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