Judge moves case of Suffolk Legis.-elect Catherine Stark, charged with driving while impaired by drugs

Suffolk County Legis.-elect Catherine Stark, charged with driving while impaired by drugs, will face a Southampton Town judge after both Riverhead Town justices recused themselves, citing political and professional conflicts. 

Stark, 60, of Riverhead, was pulled over by a Riverhead police officer on Dec. 3 who said she displayed signs of “drunk-like behavior [and] slurred speech." She has pleaded not guilty to the charge, a misdemeanor. 

Riverhead Town Justice Sean Walter, a former Republican town supervisor, recused himself on Dec. 11, saying he had a longstanding political relationship with Stark and her family. Stark, a Republican expected to be sworn in to represent the 1st Legislative District on Tuesday, has worked in county government for decades and her late father, Jim Stark, is a former Riverhead Town supervisor.

Riverhead Town Justice Lori Hulse recused herself on Dec. 4, the day Stark was arraigned before her, citing an attorney-client relationship with an unnamed witness in the case.

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office on Dec. 15 motioned to move the case, citing the conflicts. Acting state Supreme Court Justice Stephen Braslow granted the motion on Friday.

District attorney representatives did not immediately comment on the decision. Neither did Stark or her attorney, Steven Losquadro, of Rocky Point.

Stark told police she took “one to two oxycodones," according to the officer who made the arrest.

Losquadro has said she was under the influence of medication prescribed to treat cancer — not illegal drugs, and that she would be vindicated in court. 

Stark was charged under Section 1192, Subsection 4, of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, entitled driving while ability impaired by drugs. The charge is punishable by a fine of between $500 and $1,000, up to one year in jail or both, plus a license suspension.

Stark, who served as a legislative aide for nearly two decades, defeated Democrat Catherine Kent, a former Riverhead Town councilwoman, in the Nov. 7 general election.

With Grant Parpan

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese covers Suffolk County government and politics. She joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.