Editor,

I am writing to show my support of Joe McBride for Chenango County Court Judge. I have known Joe for the last 20 years and am very proud to call him my good friend. That, however, is not the reason I am voting for him. My first reason comes from a conversation I had directly with Joe when he told me he intended to run. I asked him why do you want that position when your salary as District Attorney is the same as that of Chenango County Court Judge? He told me how important the Judge position was for Chenango County. The lives of the accused, the victim, and the guilty will be forever affected by decisions of the Judge. He impressed upon me how much his years of experience in both Family Court and County Court (the criminal Court) uniquely qualified him to render compassionate judgments or punitive judgments as needed.

Secondly, I looked at websites of the respective candidates as if they were resumes. I compared their years in the legal profession specifically looking for the most balanced experience in each of the Courts over which they will preside. Additionally, I looked at commitment to and membership in civic organizations or, as we all refer to it, cCommunity service. If each resume were laid on a table before me with no names, I would choose the one with Joe McBride’s credentials. His experience really does matter.