Governor Patrick Announces Three Judicial Nominations to the Probate and Family Court Bench

BOSTON, July 23 -- Gov. Deval Patrick, D-Mass., has issued the following news release:

Governor Deval Patrick today announced the judicial nominations of three experienced attorneys to the Probate and Family Court: Kathryn M. Bailey for the Worcester County Division; David J. Dacyczyn for the Franklin County Division and Geoffrey R. German for the Hampden County Division.

"I am very pleased to nominate these highly qualified attorneys to the Probate and Family Court bench," said Governor Patrick. "I commend them for their legal expertise and their keen understanding of the emotional and complex issues facing litigants every day in this court. I thank them for their willingness to serve the Commonwealth in these very important judicial positions."

Kathryn Bailey has been in private practice in Clinton since graduating from law school in 1996. For the first 10 years of her career, she maintained a general practice, including some bar advocate work in District Court. Since 2006, Bailey has focused her practice on Probate and Family Court litigation. She has extensive experience in family law matters as an attorney and as a guardian ad litem. Bailey is a graduate of Assumption College (B.A., 1993) and Massachusetts School of Law (J.D., 1996). She is a native of Clinton and a resident of Lancaster. If confirmed, Bailey will fill the vacancy on the Probate and Family Court created by the recent retirement of The Honorable Susan D. Ricci.

David Dacyczyn has been the judicial case manager at the Hampshire County Probate and Family Court since 2012. From 2001 to 2012, he served as an assistant judicial case manager at the Franklin County Probate and Family Court. Dacyczyn practiced law in Greenfield from 1992 to 2000, with a concentration in probate and family law, estate planning and small business matters. Dacyczyn has been in the U.S. Navy Reserves since 1987 and served on active duty in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012. He is a graduate of Westfield State College (B.S., 1982), Sam Houston University (M.A., Police Science and Administration, 1985) and New England School of Law (J.D., 1992). Dacyczyn resides in South Deerfield. If confirmed, he will fill the Probate and Family Court vacancy created by the recent retirement of The Honorable Geoffrey A. Wilson.

Geoffrey German has been a sole practitioner in Worcester since 1985, with a concentration in family law. He has extensive trial experience in Probate and Family Court and has served as a guardian ad litem, conciliator and parenting coordinator. German is a graduate of University of Massachusetts Amherst (B.A., 1981) and New England School of Law (J.D., 1984). He resides in Worcester. If confirmed, German will fill the vacancy on the Probate and Family Court to be created by the upcoming retirement of The Honorable David M. Fuller.

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