Tiny Court System in NYS

After an acquiantance of mine was bitched out in open court because she dared to file a routine appeal, I feel obligated to recall attention to the ongoing problems w/n the small court system here in New York state.

To put in simplistic terms, those presiding (judges) have no requirement to actually have a law degree. Nor is there a requirement for them to know what they're doing. Nor is there a requirement in (at least pretending) to be impartial. Nor is there any real oversight pertaining to how such proceedings are held or conducted.

I would go further but the New York Times did an investigative series & their findings were considerably more detailed. Therefore I'm providing its link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/25/nyregion/25courts.html?pagewanted=all


The paper also examined how previous attempts (going as far back as 1926) have all failed for different reasons. That article can be read here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/27/nyregion/27courts.html?pagewanted=all

This is an issue that effects ALL North Country residents.

Do you really want to be that battered wife (or brother of that wife) & have the judge tell that person, "Every woman needs a good pounding every now and then." Or does it inspire confidence in the system when a judge proclaims, "I just follow my own common sense & the hell with the law."

I think not.


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This is Shiloh, basking in a patch of late afternoon patch of light.



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