Why Am I Qualified?

              I am a former Judge and prosecutor. As a prosecutor, I handled all criminal cases in the Town of Poughkeepsie Court, from shoplifting to murder.
I am the ONLY candidate for this position who:

• Was President of the Dutchess County Bar Association
• Was Chairman of the Judiciary Comm. of the Dutchess Co. Bar Association. for 10 yrs.
• Has tried well over 200 civil and criminal jury cases in state and federal courts
• Has been recognized for extraordinary pro bono services to families of victims of Sept. 11, 2001 disaster at the World Trade Center.
• Served for more than four years as probation officer and senior investigator in the Dutchess County Probation Deptartment and the Office of Probation of the City of New York
• Has been admitted to practice before the United State Supreme Court since 1984
• Has published legal articles and lectured lawyers on Trial Practice issues for the NYS Bar Association
• Was a faculty Member in criminal law at Marist College for five years
• Received a ranking as a “Super Lawyer” based upon peer recommendations each year over the past 15 years
• Is a 40-year Member, NYS Magistrate’s Association.

              For the past 20 years, I have received the highest rating from judges and other attorneys from the Martindale-Hubbell rating agency, the nation’s sole independent, confidential peer-review system. Its highest rating (AV) is based upon an attorney’s ethics and legal ability. Fewer than 3 percent of all attorneys in the United States have ever received the AV rating.
              Perhaps I am best qualified for the job of Town Justice in Poughkeepsie because I’ve stood in the shoes of every person who comes before this court. I am a former Town Judge (in Millbrook), a former assistant district attorney in the Town of Poughkeepsie, and a former probation worker in Dutchess County, Brooklyn and Manhattan. I also have represented clients before the Town Court and even been a defendant in a Town Court (in 1966 case involving a minor traffic violation). In 1966, in my sophomore year at Marist, I received a ticket for a traffic infraction and the judge imposed a sentence of “$25 or 3 days”. In 1966, I had a part-time job which paid a lot less than $25 a month; so I asked for a week so that I could call my parents to ask them to send me the fine money. He refused the request and sent me off to 3 days in the Dutchess County Jail. (If you doubt this, just check out the mug shot on this site which I later retrieved with the help of a detective friend from the Sheriff’s Office years, later during my DA days).
              As a result of these many and varied experiences, I have developed the key qualities needed of a fair and effective Town Justice – patience, wisdom, and good judgment. While many may overlook the significance of this position, I am well aware of its importance to those who come before the Town Court.
              Finally, my best qualification may well be that I am not a politician. I seek only to do the job of Town Justice the way I know it should be done. I am well aware that the Town of Poughkeepsie’s is the busiest part-time court between White Plains and Albany. After my family, service to this court will be my top priority. Yes, it is a part-time job, but I promise to give it my full-time commitment.