Sullivan pleas for second judgeship for sixth year in a row
NORWICH – Abuse, neglect, child custody and visitation rulings are among the cases being postponed at Chenango County Family Court - many for several months - because the county’s sole family and surrogate court judge is overloaded.
And the problem isn’t new. For the sixth year in a row, Family and Surrogate Judge W. Howard Sullivan had made a plea before the Chenango County Safety & Rules Committee for another judge to help him.
“Right now people come into Family Court and we tell them we can’t see them until April,” he said. “That’s not acceptable.”
In 2007, Judge Sullivan’s caseload in Chenango County’s family and criminal courts totaled 2,236. Cortland, Madison and Otsego counties have two judges each, but only the judges in Otsego - where the population is about 10,000 greater than Chenango’s - exceeded Sullivan’s number, and just barely, with 2,596 cases. Delaware county’s sole judge presided over one thousand less cases last year than Sullivan.
“Our cases are significantly higher than other counties. We are busting at the seams,” Sullivan told lawmakers a year ago while making the same request.
The state’s lawmakers in Albany must pass the Home Rule measure before the New York State Office of Court Administration can make the appointment. Sullivan said approximately 25 new judges are appointed each year, but the majority are assigned to New York City’s courts or the state Assembly or Senate.
“We just don’t have the juice. We don’t have legislators in the right positions and with right power to get the job done,” Sullivan said, adding that he had again requested a second judgeship in a recent letter to 52nd District Senator Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton.
Libous and 107th District Assemblyman Clifford, R-Binghamton, have sponsored the bill in Albany for years. Matt Moyse, a press representative for Libous, said this morning that the Assembly isn’t interested in “getting something done for Chenango County.”
“Speaker Silver and his downstate New York City colleagues in the Assembly have much higher interest getting things done for New York city than they do for Chenango County,” he said.
Safety & Rules Committee Chairman Alton B. Doyle, R-Guilford, said he didn’t blame Sullivan for not giving up on his request year after year.
“With the load that you have to carry ... it’s not fair to our citizens,” he said. “I just can’t understand it. It seems a shame. It’s all a political plumb,” Doyle said.
In his motion to approve Sullivan’s request, Town of Greene Supervisor Jack T. Cook said he would like a letter sent with “special emphasis going to Senator Libous” that we need this.
Town of Columbus Supervisor George C. Coates said, “If we had a zip code in New York City, this wouldn’t be a problem.”
And the problem isn’t new. For the sixth year in a row, Family and Surrogate Judge W. Howard Sullivan had made a plea before the Chenango County Safety & Rules Committee for another judge to help him.
“Right now people come into Family Court and we tell them we can’t see them until April,” he said. “That’s not acceptable.”
In 2007, Judge Sullivan’s caseload in Chenango County’s family and criminal courts totaled 2,236. Cortland, Madison and Otsego counties have two judges each, but only the judges in Otsego - where the population is about 10,000 greater than Chenango’s - exceeded Sullivan’s number, and just barely, with 2,596 cases. Delaware county’s sole judge presided over one thousand less cases last year than Sullivan.
“Our cases are significantly higher than other counties. We are busting at the seams,” Sullivan told lawmakers a year ago while making the same request.
The state’s lawmakers in Albany must pass the Home Rule measure before the New York State Office of Court Administration can make the appointment. Sullivan said approximately 25 new judges are appointed each year, but the majority are assigned to New York City’s courts or the state Assembly or Senate.
“We just don’t have the juice. We don’t have legislators in the right positions and with right power to get the job done,” Sullivan said, adding that he had again requested a second judgeship in a recent letter to 52nd District Senator Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton.
Libous and 107th District Assemblyman Clifford, R-Binghamton, have sponsored the bill in Albany for years. Matt Moyse, a press representative for Libous, said this morning that the Assembly isn’t interested in “getting something done for Chenango County.”
“Speaker Silver and his downstate New York City colleagues in the Assembly have much higher interest getting things done for New York city than they do for Chenango County,” he said.
Safety & Rules Committee Chairman Alton B. Doyle, R-Guilford, said he didn’t blame Sullivan for not giving up on his request year after year.
“With the load that you have to carry ... it’s not fair to our citizens,” he said. “I just can’t understand it. It seems a shame. It’s all a political plumb,” Doyle said.
In his motion to approve Sullivan’s request, Town of Greene Supervisor Jack T. Cook said he would like a letter sent with “special emphasis going to Senator Libous” that we need this.
Town of Columbus Supervisor George C. Coates said, “If we had a zip code in New York City, this wouldn’t be a problem.”
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