NEW SCOTLAND — Judge Margaret Adkins recently announced her resignation as a town justice. Her last day is Nov. 15.

On the bench for over 12 years, Adkins was first elected in 2003, and sworn in in 2004. She had also run for the position a decade before but lost to Thomas Dolin. Adkins says she ran because she wanted to be involved with her community, but also because of her experience and passion for law.

“I loved the law,” said Adkins, “and criminal justice.”

After graduating from Syracuse University, Adkins earned her law degree from Albany Law School in 1990, and then became a practicing attorney.

“Initially I started out thinking ‘labor law,’” said Adkins, but she soon specialized in land-use and real-estate law, noting how she was able to spend more time with her family by working in that area.

Adkins has also been teaching criminal justice and business law at Southern Vermont College, where she was promoted from an adjunct to a full-time instructor this fall. Adkins’s promotion is one of the reasons she is resigning from the bench.

“The travel back and forth, it really isn’t fair to the residents,” said Adkins.

Adkins explained how she is on call for the second half of each month to fill in as a justice in another local court when needed. New Scotland’s other judge, David Wukitsch, covers the first half of the month.

“When Family Court gets closed, we’re Family Court,” said Adkins, later adding, “I’m just running out of time.”

Despite her busy schedule, Adkins has been able to use her court experienced as part of her lessons on criminal justice at Southern Vermont College.

“New Scotland is known as a teaching court,” she said, explaining how she and others have used court sessions and mock trials to teach students about various subjects of the law.

Adkins says that her own experiences in court have affected her.

“There are times I’ve gone home and cried,” she said, “The impact that the court system has on people can be devastating, can be uplifting.”

Adkins also said that she and Wukitsch have to be mindful of treating people well in the court.

“This court is one of the closest to the people,” she said, of the town court.

Adkins’s departure will also mean the absence of any Republicans in the town government, Adkins having been the only one.

“It’s lonely walking in the parade,” joked Adkins, but added, “In the court, it shouldn’t matter...The court is really the only place it shouldn’t matter at all.”

Adkins explained that a judge’s political leanings shouldn’t influence decisions from the bench, noting that even when campaigning to be a judge, there’s only so much a candidate can speak on politically. Adkins even avoids attending public meetings unless necessary in order to avoid any political influences on a local level.

Adkins is also taking online courses at Boston University in order to earn a master’s degree in criminal justice. Adkins, already holding a law degree, said the program helps her teach her own courses and gives herself background in criminology.

“I’m really doing it for my students,” she said, adding “It keeps your mind going.”

Adkins, whose term was to end at the end of 2019, will be leaving shortly after elections are held, and so the town will have to appoint a replacement rather than have voters elect one.

“I was trying to give them (the town board) enough time to vet people,” she said of the timing for her resignation. Adkins also said she had promised to officiate the marriage of a friend’s daughter at the end of October, and she had students coming to see the court on Sept. 27.

“I have things I need to clear out,” she said.

Supervisor Doug LaGrange said the town board would be responsible in appointing the next town justice, but that the exact procedure to do so is still unknown.

“It’s been so quick,” he said.

LaGrange said that two or three people have already expressed interest in the position, but that if a replacement is not found in time the court system will provide a substitute.

Whoever is appointed will have to run in the next election cycle, as outlined in Public Officers Law.

Adkins says a position as a judge isn’t out of the question in the future, but now is not the time. For now, she said, she is looking to enjoy not being tied down to a schedule or to the area. But she says she will still miss her job, and is grateful to everyone involved, “from the police officers...to the court clerks.”

Adkins says she will also miss being a substitute at Albany City Court trials, but that most of all she will miss the people — on both sides of the court bench.

“I’ll miss a lot of defendants,” said Adkins.