He was the son of John L. Putnam, who was both a farmer and Judge of Probate for Sullivan County.
At a special judicial election on June 7, 1847, four judges of the New York Court of Appeals, the Clerk of the Court of Appeals, 32 justices of the new New York Supreme Court district benches, county judges, surrogates, districty attorneys and all other judicial officers in the state of New York were elected, to take office on July 5, 1847.
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His public service included Secretary of State in the Alexander McNair administration, Probate Judge of St. Louis County and in 1832 he was elected a member of the State Senate for St. Charles District.
DeVitis was appointed in December 2011 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Todd McKenney, who was appointed as Summit County Probate Court judge.
It is also a superior court, having limited appellate jurisdiction over appeals from the lower Probate Court, Magistrate's Court, and Municipal Court, and appeals from the Administrative Law Judge Division, which hears matters relating to state administrative and regulatory agencies.