I just got off the phone with Independence Chair Len Bernardo who was marching in the New Paltz pride parade with our next county court Judge Jonathan Katz.
The significance in this is we finally have a clear choice to make electing Mr.Williams and his philosophize or Judge Katz.
We know where both of them stand on the issue of marriage equality, Mr. Williams is against it and threatened to prosecute Mayor West for giving same sex couples the equal rights that they deserve. We all know Justice Katz was also a part of that debate as a New Paltz town Judge, he stood on the right side of the issue.
Ulster County has been run by Republican jurists with their simple minded thinking for too long. We have an opertunity to elect a true Progressive Judge to the bench.
Obviously, marriage equality is an important issue but there are many others such as electing a Judge that believes in strong alternative to incarceration programs for non violent offenders, getting individuals with substance abuse problems the treatment they need, not locking them up for three years so they come out full blooded criminals.
I am not advocating for a Judge to legislate from the bench or to be 'weak on crume' as the Conservatives will try to use as a scare tactic. I am simply saying the county Judge has discretion on sentencing and we need to someone that is willing to use it.
Judge Katz will be a breath of fresh air to the criminal justice system here in Ulster County and will help bring us into the 21st century.
Jeremy,
ReplyDeleteDA Williams was going to prosecute Mayor West because he broke the law. This is what he was supposed to do as the district attorney - uphold the law that is ON THE BOOKS, not what some people WISH were ON THE BOOKS. It is for the legislative branch to decide on changes in law, amendments to charters, amendments to constitutions, et cetera.
4:11-I guess you support prosecuting Bush and Cheney then? Or do you feel it's important to use discretion only when you want to support your side of an issue?
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly the problem with the Liberal extremists in this country. You think that everything comes down to philosophy and advancing your own agenda, which - incidentally - runs contrary to everything upon which this country.
ReplyDeleteA judge race should not be about philosophy or political orientation. It should be about one thing: ability underscored by experience.
It was the Democrat move towards politicizing the judicial branch under FDR, later accelerated by the advent of ultra-liberal extremism within the Democrat Party in the late 60s, which has made such a mess out of our judicial system. We now have litmus tests and Senators on both sides trying to keep good people off the bench, thereby extending partisan politics into an area in which it has no business.
While Republicans have participated in this idiotic game, they were left with little choice once the nonsense took on as much momentum as it did. This is not an excuse but an explanation.
Liberals should be ashamed of themselves for creating such a decrepit set of events.
Yet, it falls to members of the legislative branch of local, state and national government to change the law if their constituents direct them to do so. A good prosecutor fights for the existing laws which We, the People, have put in place and the judge weighs the facts according to that law.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me 4:11??
ReplyDeleteWho did Williams Prosecute during the whole Jail Fiasco??
Thatsss riggghhhtttt noone.
whats that word??? HYPOCRIT actually. Thats right.
Apparently you need to check your history before you voice your opinion...ill-informed opinions are useless ones and just make you look just that... ill-informed... guess what that does to your credibility... glad u were smart enough to stay anonymous.
8:34... I'm with you!!!