The criminal case against Seneca Falls Town Supervisor Frank Schmitter is headed to Seneca County Court after a town judge determined there was sufficient basis to advance the felony charge filed against him.
The decision came during a hearing Wednesday in Tyre Town Court, where Justice Kathy Jans-Duffy reviewed the charges stemming from an April 30 confrontation between Schmitter and Seneca Falls Town Board member Wendy Crane at the town Municipal Building.
Schmitter, 62, was arrested May 1 and charged with third-degree criminal mischief, a Class E felony, official misconduct, a Class A misdemeanor, and second-degree harassment, a violation. The charges were filed following a complaint made by Crane.
After his arrest, Schmitter was arraigned in Seneca County’s centralized arraignment court, entered a not-guilty plea and was released on his own recognizance. The case was later transferred from Seneca Falls Town Court to Tyre Town Court because of a potential conflict.
During Wednesday’s proceeding, Jans-Duffy determined the felony charge warranted referral to Seneca County Court, where the case will now proceed. Wayne County District Attorney Christine Callanan has been appointed special prosecutor.
Schmitter, a Republican, was elected town supervisor in November 2023 and is serving his third year in office. Crane, also a Republican, was elected to the Town Board in November 2025 and is in her first term.
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