WESTERLO — Kenneth Mackey Sr., who has been a town judge for eight years, says, “It’s the most exciting job I’ve ever had.”

Mackey, who is 62, has worked for three decades as a welder at Hannay Reels and has an equally long commitment to the ambulance squad, which he captains.

Running for his third term, Mackey is unopposed. A lifelong Democrat, raised in the Hilltowns, Mackey couldn’t get his party’s backing for his first run so he ran on the Republican line. This time, like last time, he has the backing of the Democrats and no one running against him on the Republican line.

Describing what he likes about being a judge, Mackey said, “Every defendant is different. Every case is different.”

Mackey said, when he first became a judge, “I used to think taking away somebody’s freedom would be hard … Now, if it’s warranted, that’s what happens.”

He went on, “You treat everybody fairly and impartially. Some people have done bad stuff. You know it right away.”

When Mackey first became a judge, he was trained at four state-required weekend-long sessions, and since then, he said, each year he takes an additional 12 hours of required training.

But, really, Mackey said, he learned the most by just being on the bench. “I got a good education in my first term,” he said. “For almost a year, I was the only judge.” Judge Andrew Brick had moved out of town.

Currently, Mackey works with Judge Robert Carl. “The word is out,” said Mackey. “There are two good judges in town that take care of business.”

The courtroom is in the same building as the highway garage, which until recently had a leaking roof. When it was raining during a court session, Mackey had to put out buckets.

“That was embarrassing,” he said of the effect on courtroom decorum. “The town fixed the roof so we no longer have the bucket brigade … We need some new digs,” he said but noted that would be up to the townspeople to decide.

Most of the trials in Westerlo are for driving-while-intoxicated arrests, he said, adding, “They go in spurts.”

Right now, Mackey said, he has one case that needs to go to trial and another where the lawyer is vacillating. “You like to keep a clean docket,” he said, “but lawyers take their time.”

It can be difficult to dispense justice in a small town where many who come before the judge know him. “I do know about everyone in town,” said Mackey. “You’ve got to treat everybody fairly with impartiality. You can’t do any favors … Whether somebody’s 8 or 88, everybody’s treated the same.”

Asked about his goals, Mackey said, “I would like to say I could go to court every Wednesday night and there would not be anyone to deal with.” But he added that he knows that’s not realistic.

He concluded that it’s important to not be intimidated. “A guy threatened to kill me in court,” Mackey recalled of a felony domestic-violence case.

“When people are intoxicated, they say all sorts of stuff,” he said.

Of the case where the man made the death threat, Mackey said, “It ended up well. He went to prison … You can’t let them intimidate you. I’m not scared of nobody.”