Please click the link below to subscribe to a FREE PDF version of each print edition of the Niagara Reporter

http://eepurl.com/dnsYM9

By: Tony Farina

Niagara County District Attorney Caroline Wojtaszek, who announced earlier this month that she will be a candidate for Niagara County judge next year, will be honored Thursday night (Nov. 21) at a reception at the Wurlitzer Event Center at 908 Niagara Falls Blvd., North Tonawanda.

The county’s top prosecutor will forego seeking a second term as district attorney to instead run for the county judge seat now held by Sara Sheldon who will be unable to seek a third term on the bench because she will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 next year.

DA Wojtaszek, a Democrat, will seek support from all political parties in her run for judge next year, noting in her announcement that she declared early because of the changes in the political calendar with an early primary in June.

Wojtaszek, who is the wife of former Niagara County GOP Chairman Henry Wojtaszek, has two high profile trials coming up early next year, most notably the cold case prosecution of Joseph Belstadt who is charged in the murder of Mandy Steingasser in 1993.

It was the district attorney who helped finally put the case together against Belstadt, which includes forensic evidence recovered from the car Belstadt was driving when his classmate disappeared only to turn up dead five weeks later.  It was Wojtaszek who led the investigation that led to the discovery of the forensic evidence matching the victim found in Belstadt’s car.

Thursday night’s political event, billed as a Chocolate & Wine Reception, costs $75 per person and $125 per couple.  In addition, there are bronze ($250), silver ($5000, and gold ($1,000) sponsorships available.  Checks should be made payable to Wojtaszek for County Judge.

The program runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.