Press release/provided photos
Sheriff Christopher M. Bourke announces the retirement of Corrections Lieutenant Michael Christopher from the Orleans County Jail. For over 30 years Lieutenant Christopher has been a dedicated employee of the Sheriff’s Office and the County of Orleans.
Lieutenant Christopher began his career in 1992 as a Part-Time Correction Officer, becoming Full-Time in 1994. Throughout his career, Lieutenant Christopher worked his way through the ranks. He was promoted in 2011 to Correction Sergeant, in 2016 he was promoted to Sergeant First Class, and in 2020 he achieved the rank of Lieutenant. Lieutenant Christopher served as the Day Shift Lieutenant from 2020 until he recently announced his retirement in 2024.
Lieutenant Christopher has been an active employee of the Orleans County Jail and has volunteered for multiple job assignments within the facility. Such assignments included: Incarcerated Individual Disciplinary Coordinator, Classification Coordinator, Livescan Coordinator, Fire Safety Coordinator, and Municipal Police Training Council Certified Instructor. Lieutenant Christopher also served on the Orleans County Safety Board for several years.
Sheriff Bourke and the employees of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office would like to congratulate Lieutenant Christopher on his retirement and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.
Good luck in your future endeavors!!
Michael Christopher is claiming to be a judge from the murry town court in holly and presiding over criminal cases as well as CAP Court arrangements inside the Orleans County jail. There is no information online or in the nys database online that can confirm this. All matters are determined to be illegal until proven otherwise. Orleans county is crooked.
Michael Christopher #441 Murry town council member not judge
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-18
WHEREAS, the Town of Murray has been without a permanent Town Justice as of January
1, 2025 due to the resignation of Gary P. Passarell; it is
RESOLVED that Michael Christopher is appointed as Town of Murray Justice to a term
beginning April 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2025.
Upon being put to a vote, the resolution was unanimously adopted.
This is from the March 2025 Town of Murray Meeting minutes, he resigned as a council member in the same meeting.
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-017
MOTION by Berg
SECONDED by Bower
WHEREAS, Michael Christopher has resigned from the Murray Town Board effective
March 18, 2025; it is
RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Murray hereby appoints Neil Valentine
to the Murray Town Board to a term beginning March 18, 2025 and ending December 31, 2025.
Upon being put to a vote, the resolution was duly adopted.
On October 7, 2025, Michael Christopher acted as a Justice during a CAP court arraignment at the Orleans County Jail and set bail in my case. Public records indicate that Michael Christopher was appointed to the Murray Town Board in 2023 as a council member. The certified Orleans County Board of Elections canvass shows that Michael Christopher was a candidate for Murray Town Justice in the November 4, 2025 General Election, with the results certified on November 18, 2025. Because my arraignment occurred before that election, I question the authority under which Michael Christopher acted as a Justice and set bail on October 7, 2025. To my knowledge, he had not yet been elected by the voters to the office of Murray Town Justice at that time. I therefore request documentation showing the legal authority under which he acted as a Justice, including any appointment, designation, assignment order, or other authorization permitting him to exercise judicial powers before the November 2025 election.
Requesting copies of the public records relating to the appointment of the temporary Town Justice for the Town of Murray.
Specifically, I am requesting:
Copies of all Town Board meeting minutes, resolutions, agendas, notices, and records concerning the appointment.
The date on which the appointment was considered and voted upon.
The names and titles of all Town Board members present for the vote.
The recorded vote of each Town Board member, including the names of those who voted in favor, opposed, or abstained.
Any certificate of appointment, correspondence, or other records relating to the appointment.
Any oath of office filed in connection with the appointment, including a copy showing the court or town stamp and the date of filing for the temporary appointment to the office of Town Justice.
A copy of the resignation, retirement, or written notice creating the vacancy of the prior Town Justice.
Any other public records showing the authority granted to the appointee prior to the next election.
My understanding is that the Town of Murray Town Board consists of five members: the Town Supervisor and four Town Council members. Pursuant to New York Town Law § 64(5), the Town Board has authority to fill vacancies in town offices. Pursuant to New York Public Officers Law § 42, vacancies in elective offices may be filled by appointment when authorized by law until the vacancy is filled at an election as required by law.
Because the Town Board consists of five members, a majority vote of the entire board would require a minimum of three affirmative votes to approve an appointment to fill a vacancy in the office of Town Justice.
Accordingly, I am requesting records identifying the board members who voted in favor of the appointment, those who voted against the appointment, and documentation showing that the required minimum of three affirmative votes was obtained.
These records are public and accessible under the following New York State laws:
New York Public Officers Law (FOIL), Article 6 (§§ 84–90), which provides public access to government records.
New York Public Officers Law § 87, which requires agencies to make records available for public inspection and copying, subject to limited exemptions.
New York Town Law § 64(5), which authorizes Town Boards to act on town business, including filling vacancies by vote, with such actions constituting public records.
New York Public Officers Law § 106, which requires minutes of public meetings and records of votes taken by public bodies to be maintained and made available to the public
What i see is incumbency advantage !
Incumbency advantage is the built-in edge that people already holding an office tend to have when they run for re-election.
Why incumbents usually have an advantage
Even if the system is fair, someone already in the job often benefits from:
Name recognition – voters already know who they are
Visibility – they appear in news, court, meetings, or public records
Experience label – they can say “I’m already doing the job”
Access to information and systems – they understand procedures better than newcomers
Institutional credibility – people assume they’re “proven” simply by holding office
Community contacts – lawyers, clerks, officials, and staff already know them