Andrew Crecca to take over as Suffolk's top judge Thursday

Andrew Crecca, a longtime Long Island jurist who previously served as a Manhattan prosecutor, a Suffolk County legislator and a private attorney specializing in matrimonial and family law, will take over Thursday as Suffolk's top judge.

State court officials announced the Hauppauge Republican's appointment as Suffolk's new administrative judge last week. In his new role, Crecca, 55, will be in charge of the daily operations of Suffolk's trial courts, supervising 80 judges and about 900 employeees.

New York's Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks described Crecca in the announcement about the appointment as an "effective manager" with "a deep commitment to public service."

Marks added: "I look forward to working with Judge Crecca — who is widely regarded for his strong work ethic and innovative thinking — as we navigate the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, re-evaluating operations and leveraging new technology and other resources, in meeting Suffolk County's justice needs."

Crecca said Wednesday in an interview that his immediate priorities will be to make sure staff and visitors stay safe as the court system continues to operate amid the challenges of the coronavirus, and to address the backlog of cases that accrued during the pandemic.

Crecca said part of his longer-term vision for improving Suffolk courts will be the expansion of alternative dispute resolution programs — with a goal of being able "to deliver justice fairly, obviously, and as expeditiously as possible."

The judge said he's excited about the job "because it's an opportunity to really make a difference," and plans to still handle some court cases in addition to his administrative duties.

Voters elected Crecca as a State Supreme Court justice for a term that began in 2011.

He first served as a judge in 2005, when he handled felony cases after his election to the Suffolk County Court bench. Two years later, Crecca was appointed as an acting state Supreme Court justice.

Crecca will take on the job that retiring Suffolk Administrative Judge C. Randall Hinrichs held since 2011. 

"It's very big shoes to fill but I think he'll do an excellent job," Suffolk County Bar Association Executive Director Jane LaCova said Wednesday of Crecca.

Suffolk District Attorney Timothy Sini extended congratulations to Crecca in a statement Wednesday that also said members of his office "look forward to working with him and his staff during these unprecedented times."

In 2013, Crecca was one of four Suffolk judges who volunteered to serve on a judicial "SWAT team" assembled to tackle a massive backlog of Bronx felony cases. The same year, Crecca began supervising Suffolk's matrimonial court cases.

 In 2007, the judge was part of a once-a-decade commission put together to review Suffolk County's charter — with a goal of getting rid of superfluous laws and updating others.

 Since 2007, Crecca also has been the presiding judge in Suffolk's Integrated Domestic Violence Court, state court officials said. 

Some of the Suffolk County Court cases Crecca handled made headlines, including a 2006 case in which he sentenced a man who raped and beat one of the mothers of his children and murdered the other to 82 years to life in prison.

Crecca called it the most "brutal" and "horrific" case he'd ever handled and meted out the maximum sentence for the perpetrator, saying: "It is the hope and desire of this court that the defendant never sees the light of day again."

The judge, who is married and has two adult children, has taught at Touro Law Center and in Hofstra University's politicial science department as an adjunct professor. He graduated from Marist College and St. John's University School of Law.