Friday, April 26, 2024 | St. Lawrence County, NY
To the Editor: Someone named Sydney Belge recently published a letter which essentially claimed that I’m too old to be a judge, and that the Governor would have to appoint someone or hold a special …
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To the Editor:
Someone named Sydney Belge recently published a letter which essentially claimed that I’m too old to be a judge, and that the Governor would have to appoint someone or hold a special election when I’m done. I never met this person, so I do not know why she believes I am 65 years old. Her mother, Republican Legislator Rita Curran, likely knows I’m actually 64 though.
As for Ms. Belge’s recitation of law, I don’t blame a non-lawyer for not knowing the details of the law. In this case, she is wrong.
New York law currently requires a Family Court judge to retire on December 31 of the year that they become 70 years of age. That means that I would have to retire on December 31, 2027. So, if elected, I can serve six full years as a Family Court Judge. That is two years longer than the President of the United States. That is four years longer than an Assemblyperson. It is the same number of years as a United States Senator.
The current Judge is retiring at the end of her 10-year term. The Governor is not involved, and there is no special election. When I retire after six full years, everyone will know that I am retiring on December 31, 2027. That means that there will be candidates vying for that position in 2027 and their names would just go on the November ballot, at no cost. The new judge will take office on January 1, 2028, the day after I leave.
I am constantly puzzled by the full-throated endorsement that partisan party members give to a candidate who has not appeared before a Family Court Judge for four years. On the other hand, I have been working on the most difficult Family Court cases for the last four years as the Principal Court Attorney for a Family Court Judge – child neglect, child abuse, domestic violence, custody, visitation, adoptions, and Youth Court (which didn’t even exist when my opponent stopped practicing in Family Court).
This election is not about partisan politics. It’s about real experiences for our families.
I am grateful that Ms. Belge or Legislator Curran didn’t criticize my superior qualification to be the next Family Court Judge. But age discrimination is a serious matter. I hope everyone over 60 reads Ms. Belge’s letter.
Alexander Lesyk
St. Lawrence County family court judge candidate
Norwood
