Editor, The Spotlight;
Most judges in New York are elected directly by the people. However, Supreme Court judges serving the seven-county district that includes Albany County are selected by delegates at a judicial convention. Historically, the judge-nominee is selected by party bosses who then put together a slate of “delegates” to present to the people to rubber-stamp.
This year is different and Democrats actually have a choice on Primary Day, September 9. The Albany County Democratic Committee’s Executive Committee endorsed Legislator Justin O’Connell Corcoran for Supreme Court and is running a slate of delegates who would vote for him at a convention. We, the undersigned, are part of an alternative slate of delegates in the 109th Assembly District that are independent from the county party leaders. Our slate has fought hard to also appear on the ballot so as to give Democratic voters a choice. Matthew Clyne – who serves as both Albany County Democratic party boss and one of the county elections commissioners – invalidated our petitions. This led to a court challenge in which the judge determined that our petitions were perfectly valid. Clyne appealed and the appellate court unanimously affirmed, finding that Clyne’s action was motivated by a “misguided interest” and was “an unreasonable and unjustified restraint upon the right of primary voters to choose among eligible and qualified candidates.”
If you haven’t seen the Times Union editorials and commentaries faulting Mr. Clyne, you can Google these: Editorial: Supreme Shenanigans (7/27/14); Vote Offers Opportunity to Break Judicial Barrier (editorial by Nancy Burton, 8/23/14) Which Hat, Mr. Clyne? (8/27/14). One Times Union editorial states that “Mr. Clyne’s [attempted move to knock the second slate of delegates off the ballot] effectively blocks Democratic voters from a voice in choosing their party’s judicial nominee. … Until Mr. Clyne and other good ole’ boys abandon the backroom manipulation of these key judicial races, the glaring gender disparity on the bench is unlikely to change.”
If selected on Primary Day, our slate will consider the fact that ours is the only district in New York that does not have a single woman elected Supreme Court trial court justice. One highly qualified candidate is the Honorable Margaret Walsh. She has been serving the county as a Family Court judge for ten years. During this time, she has served as an acting Supreme Court Justice, so she is ready to step in and hit the ground running if selected by our delegates and elected this November.
By virtue of a lottery, our slate will appear second on the ballot. In the interests of democracy and assuring diversity on the bench, we ask for your support and vote and ask you to vote for the Conti-Robbins-Clarkson-Brosseau-Coffey-Treffiletti slate of delegates.
Pam Robbins
John Clarkson
Cara Brousseau
Dan Coffey