A Suffolk native raised by her father, a schoolteacher, and her mother, a school principal, Wilutis, then known as Karen Eide, graduated from Vassar College in 1980 and three years later received her law degree from the Emory University School of Law.

Long Island judge Karen Wilutis hears Suffolk's most harrowing cases, from child rape to sex trafficking - Newsday

.Karen M. Wilutis earned a degree from Vassar College received her law degree from the Emory University School of Law.

Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen Wilutis presides over the Felony Sex Offense Court in Suffolk County, where cases include charges of sex trafficking and sexual assault.

The court is among the busiest in Suffolk, with 130 pending indictments and 200 probation compliance cases that she oversees.

Wilutis worked in the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, as Brookhaven town attorney and a criminal defense attorney before becoming a judge.

Karen previously worked in the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, as Brookhaven town attorney and a criminal defense attorney.

She then worked in Suffolk's Family Court as a county attorney referee, which oversees issues such as custody, visitation and orders of protection. She was again elected a district court judge in 2021 and was assigned by court administration to the Sex Offense Court in 2022.

Wilutis, 67, was elected a Suffolk County district court judge in 2013, serving a six-year term. During her time on the bench, she presided over courts specializing in DWI and domestic violence. In 2019, she took over the sex crimes court, but was later defeated in her reelection bid.

Karen is a judge on the Suffolk County District Court and has served from 2022 to the present and from 2013 to 2019. 

2026 New York General Election

In 1984, she went to work for then-Suffolk County District Attorney Patrick Henry, a Republican, handling cases in the District Court, Grand Jury, Screening and Major Crime bureaus until 1988.

Worked in the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office from 1984 to 1988, handling cases in district court and the grand jury, screening, and major-crime bureaus.

Served a six-year term as a Suffolk County district court judge after being elected in 2013.

As a state district court judge, she oversees all felony, probate, and civil cases, authorizes naturalization and divorce proceedings, and exercises authority to review and correct the rulings of lower courts.

- Worked in the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office from 1984 to 1988, handling cases in district court and the grand jury, screening, and major-crime bureaus.
- As a state district court judge, she oversees all felony, probate, and civil cases, authorizes naturalization and divorce proceedings, and exercises authority to review and correct the rulings of lower courts.

Legal Experience

As of September 9, 2026, Karen M. Wilutis did not have a website or any information online.

Judicial Philosophy

Judicial Administration

Ethics & Conduct

Community Involvement

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BadRequest

Karen M. Wilutis

Was elected as a district court judge in 2021 and assigned to Suffolk County's Sex Offense Court in 2022.

Hon. Karen M. Wilutis

County Court Judge and Acting Supreme Court Justice
Secretary: Maria Lynch
Law Clerk: Nancy LeJava
631-852-3040, Fax: 631-208-5797

Suffolk County Court Parts, Offices, and Judges | New York Courts

As of September 9, 2026, Karen M. Wilutis’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Hon. Karen M. Wilutis
County Court Judge and Acting Supreme Court Justice
Secretary: Maria Lynch
Law Clerk: Nancy LeJava
631-852-3040, Fax: 631-208-5797

Serves as a County Court Judge and Acting Supreme Court Justice.

- Serves as a County Court Judge and Acting Supreme Court Justice.

Sentences people convicted at trial on the "higher side" for extremely serious crimes.

Said she follows the law in deciding cases.

Said people on probation who cannot comply with the conditions of their probation get resentenced.

Said her court monitors and manages people convicted of sex offenses through behavioral management rather than diversion, while hoping they can be rehabilitated.

Excuses prospective jurors who are upset after hearing the charges in a case.

Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

November 2, 2004
Karen M. Wilutis, Esq. Informal Opinion
Town Attorney No. 2004-12
Town of Brookhaven
1 Independence Hill
Farmingville, NY 11788
Dear Ms. Wilutis:

New York State Office of the Attorney General — Informal Opinion Town Attorney No. 2004-12 (November 2, 2004) — Town of Brookhaven

Asked whether she considers herself a tough-on-crime judge, Wilutis paused only briefly.

"I follow the law," she said. "Yeah."

"Being on probation is a privilege, not a right," she said. "If they can't abide by it, they get resentenced."

One of the toughest parts of her job, Wilutis said, is selecting a jury in cases that go to trial.

"Once I read the indictment of the charges, most people don't want to stay," Wilutis said. "So they all head out of the door. And I'm not gonna keep anyone against their will. Obviously, if they're upset, I excuse them."

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- The  New York Supreme Court is the state-wide trial court with the broadest jurisdiction in criminal and civil matters. However, it is not the state’s court of last resort.
- It can hear virtually any type of case brought before it, except for claims brought against the state which must be heard by the Court of Claims. Generally, it hears high-level criminal cases or civil cases with a judgment of more than $50,000.
- It is the only court that can grant divorce, annulment, and separation in New York.
- The New York Supreme Court is broken into 12 judicial districts state-wide. There are currently 154 justices authorized to sit in the New York City Supreme Court, but only 136 actually serve in Supreme Court trial parts because some of the justices are assigned to the Appellate Division or the Appellate Term.
- Justices of the Supreme Court are elected to serve 14-year terms and are paid a salary of $232,600.

A judge on your judicial district’s trial court which oversees criminal and civil matters. 