James M. Hendry III at a glance
- Current role
- Family Court Judge
- Jurisdiction
- New York · State
- Judicial service
- Active
- Term and retention
- Current term ends 2033
James M. Hendry III
Family Court Judge · Orange County Family Court
Biography
Professional career
- Judge, Family Court, Orange County, Elected, 2024 to 2034
- Judge in the Orange County Family Court in New York’s Ninth Judicial District, serving a 10‐year term from 2024 to 2033
- Previous judicial service: Elected Port Jervis City Court judge in 2015 and 2020
- Began his legal career as an associate at attorney Victoria B. Campbell’s firm
Education
- Albany Law School — J.D. (2003)
Additional information
- Solo Practice, 2003 to Present
- In 2010, he opened his own practice
- handling family law, matrimonial, civil litigation, probate, bankruptcy, workers’ compensation, DWI, and criminal matters.
- focusing on family law, matrimonial, and child custody/support
- Before joining the Family Court, Judge Hendry served on the Port Jervis City Court bench and was active in local politics, including two terms on the Port Jervis Common Council
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
New York statewide rules require permission before photographing, filming, videotaping, audiotaping, broadcasting, or telecasting in court facilities, including courtrooms.
Taking photographs, films or videotapes, or audiotaping, broadcasting or telecasting, in a courthouse including any courtroom, office or hallway thereof, at any time or on any occasion, whether or not the court is in session, is forbidden, unless permission of the Chief Administrator of the Courts or a designee of the Chief Administrator is first obtainedPart 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings ↗
Exhibits
Statewide
The official Guide to New York Evidence identifies court control over presentation of evidence as a statewide evidence topic; counsel should expect the assigned judge to control the mode and order of proof.
1.07. COURT CONTROL OVER PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCEGuide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role ↗
Published courtroom rules
Judge and named-part rules
Published judge / part rules (39 excerpts)
See document heading and cited passage; do not apply outside the issuing part or proceeding.
Official rules document ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27
Communications with chambers
1. When using e-mail to send papers to the Court, all petitions, motions and proposed Orders should be e-mailed to virtualorangefamilycourt@nycourts.gov.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
2. All retained counsel shall file a Notice of Appearance with the Part Clerk on or before the attorney’s first appearance. The Notice of Appearance shall include the attorney’s name, firm, e-mail address, mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, as well as the party represented.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
3. All communication with the Court shall be via written communication, either e-mail, letter or fax. Phone contact is discouraged as chambers is not permitted to have ex-parte conversations with counsel or litigants. E-mail is the preferred method of communication to the Court staff. Any e-mails sent to the Court, other than providing contact information or confirming an appearance date/time, must also be copied to all other parties.
Source page 1Communications with chambers
Correspondence between counsel and/or self-represented litigants shall not be copied to the Court unless there is a judicial reason for such transmittal. Ex-parte communication will not be read or otherwise addressed. All emails sent to Chambers should be sent to 9jd-JudgeHendry@nycourts.gov.
Source page 1Conferences and appearances
5. All court appearances are IN PERSON. In very limited circumstances, the Court will allow a virtual appearance upon request, with said request being in writing at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled Court appearance and copied to all parties. Virtual appearances are NOT permitted for hearings or trials.
Source page 1Remote appearances
Participants should not be attending virtual proceedings from a public place, while driving in their vehicle or while caring for young children in the room.
Source page 2Communications with chambers
1. The Court Attorney should not be contacted for any legal advice or for any inquiries regarding scheduling issues or status of Orders, reports, etc. E-mail correspondence with the Court Attorney (bfiguero@nycourts.gov) is encouraged for assistance with settlement negotiations, with all interested parties being copied on any e-mails. E-mails are treated as correspondences and will be scanned into the respective Court files where appropriate.
Source page 2Conferences and appearances
2. The Court Attorney is available to assist parties with reaching settlements, both before trial or on trial dates in person. If any parties are appearing pro se, they must consent to a conference. The Court Attorney will not meet with only attorneys if there are any unrepresented litigants.
Source page 2Adjournments
1. All requests for adjournments MUST be made in writing and copied to all parties, including pro se litigants and the Attorney for the Child, and shall be made no less than 48 hours prior to the scheduled appearance. Requests should be on letterhead and emailed as an attachment. All adjournment requests must state the reason why an adjournment is necessary, whether the opposing party consents or objects, and the length of adjournment sought with a date that parties are available. DO NOT call chambers for adjournment requests. Email all such requests to 9jd-JudgeHendry@nycourts.gov or virtualorangefamilycourt@nycourts.gov
Source page 2Adjournments
2. All adjournments MUST be approved by the Court, even where all parties have consented.
Source page 2Adjournments
3. All adjournment requests due to attorney engagement in another Court must be made pursuant to 22 NYCRR §125.1. All adjournment requests for medical reasons MUST be accompanied by a doctor’s note.
Source page 2Adjournments
4. If an adjournment is granted, the requesting party will be notified by the Court and will be required to notify all parties, including pro se litigants and the Attorney for the Child of the new date and time and provide proof to the court.
Source page 2Motion practice
1. All petitions, Orders to Show Cause and motions must be filed with the Clerk’s office, either by a hard paper copy, or electronically through virtualorangefamilycourt@nycourts.gov
Source page 3Motion practice
2. There shall be strict compliance with the CPLR in the filing of motions. A Notice of Motion and Affidavit of Service shall be filed with all motion papers.
Source page 3Motion practice
3. Appearances are not required on a motion return date. If a party is requesting an appearance for the purpose of oral arguments, such request shall be clearly noted in the Notice of Motion and will be granted at the court’s discretion. If the Court, after receipt and review of a motion believes appearances are necessary, the parties will be notified of the appearance date and time.
Source page 3Filing and working copies
4. For all issues not specified herein, the parties shall follow the statutory procedures specified by the Family Court Act and/or the CPLR. All general filing questions shall be directed to the Family Court Clerk’s Office at 845-476-3520.
Source page 3Adjournments
1. Request for mental health evaluations, forensic evaluations, or any other testing/evaluation should be made at the preliminary appearance or the first appearance with counsel. Additionally, issues regarding the payment for such evaluations shall be addressed at that time. If counsel is retained after the first appearance and seeks an evaluation of any kind, they must request it immediately. Trial dates will NOT be adjourned due to the parties’ failure to request such evaluations.
Source page 3Trial exhibits and witnesses
4. Mental health / forensic reports will only be admitted into evidence at trial upon consent of all parties, including the Attorney for the Child. Absent consent, a party seeking to admit the report into evidence must do so by subpoena and then calling the evaluator/author of the report as a witness at trial, subject to cross examination.
Source page 3Conferences and appearances
1. Trial dates should be viewed by litigants and counsel as firm dates. Litigants and counsel are strongly encouraged to engage in meaningful settlement negotiations prior to the trial date. Settlement assistance will be provided by the Court Attorney upon request, as set forth above.
Source page 4Filing and working copies
2. If a matter is settled prior to trial, a proposed Order on Consent may be filed with the Court prior to the trial date. All parties must have their signatures notarized on such consent order or otherwise execute an Affirmation of truth of Statement as set forth in CPLR §2106.
Source page 4Trial exhibits and witnesses
3. On the scheduled trial date, litigants and counsel must be prepared to proceed to trial and must be prepared to continue day-to-day until the proceeding is concluded. The Court will endeavor to complete trials within 2 weeks of commencement.
Source page 4Trial exhibits and witnesses
4. Witnesses should be subpoenaed and must be available on the trial date. Professional witnesses [doctors, nurses, case workers, counselors, police officers, teachers, etc..] may be permitted to testify out of order to accommodate their employment schedules upon consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.
Source page 4Adjournments
5. Last minute claims that a witness is unavailable will not be acceptable, nor will adjournments of trials be given due to witness unavailability, except for in unanticipated and exigent circumstances.
Source page 4Trial exhibits and witnesses
6. Counsel are encouraged to exchange proposed exhibits prior to trial. All proposed exhibits are still subject to challenges as to admissibility and will only be admitted in compliance with relevant evidentiary laws.
Source page 4Communications with chambers
7. Any photographs, text messages, e-mails, social media posts and other electronic communication sought to be introduced on a party’s direct case must be exchanged with all other parties at least 10 days prior to trial, or they will not be admitted into evidence on that party’s direct case except for good cause shown.
Source page 4Trial exhibits and witnesses
8. Parties/attorneys are expected to present any audio and/or video evidence on their own devices. Any such video/audio shall be on a USB flash drive if submitted as evidence. The Court technology/monitors used if available, but the party/attorney is ultimately responsible to present such evidence.
Source page 4Trial exhibits and witnesses
9. Witness lists are not required, but litigants are strongly encouraged to exchange potential witness lists with opposing counsel to assist in trial preparation and scheduling issues.
Source page 4Trial exhibits and witnesses
2. Subpoena Duces Tecum will only be signed by the Judge in instances where the documents sought are intended to be introduced as evidence, with proper notice being given to all counsel and/or pro-se litigants.
Source page 5Trial exhibits and witnesses
3. Subpoena Duces Tecum shall be made returnable to the Clerk of the Court at 9:15 a.m., at least three days prior to the beginning of any trial or hearing. Counsel and pro se litigants will be permitted to inspect the subpoenaed material upon request.
Source page 5Trial exhibits and witnesses
5. All requested “So Ordered” Subpoenas Duces Tecum shall be provided to the Court at least 30 days prior to the trial date.
Source page 5Courtroom conduct and technology
2. All proposed Orders that are submitted by hard copy must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if counsel would like to receive a returned hard copy of the Order. The Court will not mail any signed Orders if a self addressed stamped envelope is not provided.
Source page 5Communications with chambers
Proposed Orders can be submitted electronically, via virtualorangefamilycourt@nycourts.gov , with all parties being copied on such e-mail transmission. Signed and entered Orders will be e-mailed back to the parties if they are received electronically.
Source page 5Courtroom conduct and technology
3. All counter-proposed Orders shall be accompanied by a cover letter detailing the proposed changes. The Court staff will make every effort to review the Court notes and the audio recording of a proceeding where the parties disagree over the language in a proposed Order.
Source page 5Conferences and appearances
contain an affidavit of service of same and Notice of Settlement for a date designated in accordance with 22 NYCRR 202.48. If notice of settlement has been waived, please provide proof of same and copy all parties.
Source page 6Conferences and appearances
5. All requests for corrected Orders must be accompanied by a letter detailing the need for the correction and be submitted on notice, with affidavit of service and notice of settlement upon all counsel and/or pro se litigants. If a proposed corrected Order is submitted, please title the Order as a ‘Corrected Order’ and at the end of the Order, indicate what the correction is, for example “This Order is being corrected to reflect the correct birth date of the minor child”.
Source page 6Filing and working copies
1. Adoption and Guardianship forms of the Family Court shall be the official forms of the court and shall be the ONLY forms accepted for filing.
Source page 6Filing and working copies
2. All adoption and guardianship petitions shall be filed directly with the Family Court Clerk’s Office and shall be fully submitted in compliance with the Uniform Rules of the Court §205.53 and Article 7 of the Domestic Relations Law.
Source page 6Filing and working copies
4. Upon receipt and review of any Adoption or Guardianship petition, the Court will review the submission and notify petition, in writing, of any additional information that is required to process the petition. Failure to provide such information in a timely manner will result in automatic dismissal of the proceeding and require the petitioner to re-file a proper application.
Source page 6Communications with chambers
5. Please do not call the Judge’s chambers or Court Attorney for instructions on how to file adoptions and guardianships [or any other proceeding]. Self-represented individuals are encouraged to seek legal advice; counsel are encouraged to consult with colleagues.
Source page 6Shared court rules
22 NYCRR Part 205 — Uniform Rules Family Court
Orange County Family Court
Family Court proceedings
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings
Orange County Family Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings
Orange County Family Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 26, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
New York State Unified Court System Judicial Directory official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View New York State Unified Court System Judicial Directory official judicial roster ↗Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Part 29: Electronic Recording and Audio-Visual Coverage in Court Facilities and of Court Proceedings ↗Guide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Guide to New York Evidence: Article 1, General Provisions and Court's Role ↗