Archive: Opinions

Dear Editor,

I am writing to urge Lansing voters to elect Maura Kennedy-Smith as Lansing Town Justice. She is the candidate who can professionalize one more Town Court in New York State.

Many people are shocked to learn that the majority of New York State’s town and village justices have never been to law school. In recent years, a number of judicial commissions have recommended statewide reforms, and today many NYS cities and larger towns have attorney-judges, and in some counties, Nassau, Long Island, for example, justice courts have been replaced by district courts served by lawyer judges.

One of the main reasons the old 16th century tradition of justice courts with non-lawyer judges has remained in place is that there are still counties in New York State that do not have enough attorneys in residence to fill town justice positions. In these counties, it is not feasible to elect lawyer-judges. In Tompkins County, electing a knowledgeable and experienced attorney for Lansing Town Justice is achievable, and voters can do it by casting a vote for Maura Kennedy-Smith on November 6, 2018.

By electing an attorney-justice, Lansing voters are in no way disparaging the achievements of the upstanding, dedicated, and diligent current Town Justice and the hard-working non-lawyer justices that have served Lansing in the past. All are generous public servants. What Lansing voters will be saying is that 2018 is the year of change, the year to elect an experienced legal professional with a deep working knowledge of the law. Experience counts. Vote for Maura Kennedy-Smith.

Dr. Emmanuel S. Nelson
Cortland, NY

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