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Retired Courier publisher endorses Gouverneur resident for Supreme Court Justice

Posted 9/29/15

To the Editor: On Nov. 3, voters from as far away as Schenectady and Saratoga Counties could very well determine whether our Supreme Court Chambers stays here, in St. Lawrence County. For this simple …

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Retired Courier publisher endorses Gouverneur resident for Supreme Court Justice

Posted

To the Editor:

On Nov. 3, voters from as far away as Schenectady and Saratoga Counties could very well determine whether our Supreme Court Chambers stays here, in St. Lawrence County.

For this simple reason and regardless of party enrollment, you are implored to go to the polls Nov. and vote for Mary Farley.

It's very important that St. Lawrence County retain a resident, elected Supreme Court Justice. With the recent retirement of Supreme Court Justice David Demarest, from St. Lawrence County, and Supreme Court Justice David Krogmann, from Warren County, reaching mandatory retirement age, voters will be asked to vote for two Supreme Court Justices in the Fourth Judicial District this November.

How could this happen? Supreme Court Justice elections are not county-wide races, but they are run within a judicial district. St. Lawrence County is within the eleven-county, 4th Judicial District.

Two seats are up for election this year. This means Mary Farley must be one of the top two vote-getters. If she is not successful, our Supreme Court Chambers will be lost to either Warren or Schenectady County, where the other three candidates reside. This is our opportunity to save the seat here in the county.

There are solid reasons to do so. Mary must campaign in and collect enough votes from the following eleven counties: Schenectady, Saratoga, Warren, Clinton, Washington, Fulton, Essex, Montgomery, Franklin, Hamilton and St. Lawrence. Combined, Saratoga and Schenectady counties comprise 45% of the voting power! For this reason, alone, it is critical that all voters in St. Lawrence County get out to vote.

Please, don't stay home Nov. 3!

Why should you care? Without a resident, elected Supreme Court Chambers, civil cases will be assigned to distant Supreme Court Justices throughout the 4th Judicial District. Presently, the closest Supreme Court Chambers in our Judicial District is in Tupper Lake- more than one hour away; and, Warren and Schenectady Counties are more than three hours away! This could result in: increased attorneys fees for required travel; delayed processing times for many routine matters; possible distant travel for litigants and attorneys, alike; and, the potential for a judge to be assigned to a case who has no familiarity with our county, its residents or geography. A civil litigant in need of a routine Temporary Restraining Order or the routine issuance of an Order to Show Cause will either be required to travel to an out-of-county, assigned Supreme Court Justice or endure the typical delays when using mail.

What types of cases will this affect? All civil cases will be impacted. For example: divorces, foreclosures, real property disputes, breach of contract, personal injury, medical malpractice, guardianships, and name changes, etc.

Mary's qualifications? Mary is a graduate of Syracuse University and Albany Law School. She practiced law at Roemer & Featherstonhaugh, P.C. in Albany and has served as, and been mentored by, the Hon. David Demarest for more than 21 years. In this respect, she follows in Judge Demarest's footsteps as he, similarly, served as law clerk for and was mentored by Supreme Court Justices Edmund Shea and Michael Duskas.

I, personally, checked and found that Mary has received the highest rating by the Third Judicial Department Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission: highly qualified. She has the experience, knowledge and temperament to serve the residents of St. Lawrence County and the entire Fourth Judicial District with fairness, competence and distinction.

It is critical for St. Lawrence County to retain its Supreme Court Chambers: Vote Mary Farley on Nov. 3!

Staying home on Nov. 3 only denies the citizens of St. Lawrence County; we must fight for the people of St. Lawrence County. We have already lost too much.

Charles W. Kelly

Retired editor and publisher of The Ogdensburg Journal, The Sunday Advance News, Daily Courier

Observer and lifelong registered Democrat