MONTICELLO- By a vote of six to three, Robert Freehill was named Sullivan County attorney at the legislature’s Thursday meeting. Freehill has served in the role since the beginning of the year when he was named acting assistant county attorney after the term of office for former county attorney Michael McGuire was not renewed.
Freehill has served a long career as an attorney and judge. He was first elected as town justice in the Town of Wallkill in 1985, a position he held until 2006. In 2007, he began his first term as Orange County Court Judge where he served until 2016. Following his retirement from the bench Freehill began working as an assistant county attorney in Sullivan.
“The county legislature has the right to appoint a county attorney, however, we chose to go a different course by opening this up with advertisements and interviewing various attorneys,” said Legislative Chairwoman Nadia Rajsz. She said that the applicants for the position were qualified, however, the majority of the legislature supported appointing Freehill to the role.
Legislators Matthew McPhillips, Brian McPhillips, and Catherine Scott, all Democrats, voted against the appointment. The remaining six members, four Republicans and two Democrats, voted together in favor of appointing Freehill.
Rajsz concluded her comments by thanking Freehill and his assistant attorney Tom Cawley for “holding down the fort” during the time of transition earlier this year.
