The Hon. Karen M. Wilutis is a judge for the Suffolk County District Court in the Tenth Judicial District of New York. Wilutis was initially elected to the bench in 2014. She was then designated to the Suffolk County Court in 2016, where she has presided over its Criminal Domestic Violence Part and Felony Sex Offense Court.
Wilutis earned a B.A. from Vassar College in 1980. She then completed a J.D. from Emory University School in 1983.
After graduating from law school, Wilutis began her legal career as an assistant district attorney in the Office of the District Attorney of Suffolk County in 1984. During her four year tenure there, she served in its District Court Bureau, Screening Bureau, Grand Jury Bureau, and Major Crimes Bureau.
Wilutis left the Office of the District Attorney and entered into private practice in 1988. She handled criminal defense matters for the next twenty-five years, punctuating this work with various stints as a town attorney for the Town of Brookhaven. During this time, she also worked as a New York State Small Claims Arbitrator.
Then, in 2010, Wilutis became the Legislative Committee Director for Senator John J. Flanagan of the New York State Senate. She served in this capacity until her election to the bench.
Wilutis served on the Planning Board of the Town of Brookhaven and the Ethics Board of the Town of Brookhaven.
Her memberships have included the Suffolk County Bar Association, the Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association, and the Suffolk County Criminal Bar Association. She has also been actively involved with Miller Place/Mount Sinai Historical Society and the Infant Jesus Roman Catholic Church.