With four candidates competing for two open positions, experience could be the determining factor when the voters decide who is going to get a 14-year term in the District 7 state Supreme Court.
Two of the candidates, incumbent State Supreme Court Judge Robert Lunn (R, C) and acting state Supreme Court Judge Elma Bellini (R, I, C), said they had an advantage because they were the only two with experience as a judge.
But with nearly two decades each of experience as courtroom attorneys, Paul Riordan (D) and Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Joanne Winslow (D, I), believed they were just as qualified as any judge.
“Just because a person wears a robe doesn't make them the most qualified to be a judge,” Winslow said. “I have other characteristics that will make me an excellent judge, and hopefully the voters will realize that as well.”
Winslow, who described herself as fair, understanding, knowledgeable and a good listener, said her 20 years of experience prosecuting cases with the Monroe County District Attorney's Office gave her a unique perspective on how to handle the law.
“I know what it's like to see a case from the victims' and the (defendants') shoes, and that's important as a judge,” Winslow said. “My job is to seek justice, not just convictions. Sometimes that means seeking the maximum penalty and sometimes that means seeking something much lesser in the interest of justice, so I will offer a reasonable plea to help people get at the root of their problem so that justice does not become a revolving door.”
But with more than 8,000 cases under her belt as an elected Monroe County judge and an appointed member of the state Supreme Court, where she helped to implement a new domestic violence court, Bellini said she would be able correctly make the tough decisions that were in the best interest of justice.
Bellini also pointed that on her downtime, she would often help other county courts in the district with their case load. In Cayuga County, Bellini presided over the Clarence Brown trial, where she eventually sentenced Brown to 30 years in prison for promoting prostitution and robbing migrant workers. She is also currently the judge overseeing the Michelle Davis case, where prosecutors are attempting to send her back to prison for killing her autistic child in a house fire.
“I think I have been a fairly successful (judge) and that gives me a good base of experience to work from,” Bellini said. “I am pretty tough on crime, but I am also fair to defendants.”
Riordan, another candidate who has never been an elected judge, said he had a different perspective on the law because of his wide range of career experiences. Riordan, who is currently working as a law clerk for Monroe County Judge John Connell, said one of his tasks has been to help Connell research legal issues before making a ruling.
“I am uniquely qualified because I have a criminal background, I have experience as a prosecutor, I have worked in civil trials and I have worked in judicial law,” Riordan said. “Working for a judge, I have seen the pressures and understand the demands ... and I know I have the courage to do the unpopular things, like suppressing evidence, if I know its the right thing to do.”
Because newly elected state Supreme Court judges are often assigned to civil law issues, Riordan said he had another leg up on his opponents because of his legal specialization in that field.
“You don't go to a heart surgeon if you have a bad knee, you go to someone that specializes in that field of medicine,” Riordan said. “The same is true in law, you want someone who specializes in civil law and that's me.”
But 17 years of experience as a county, supreme court and appellate court judge was nothing to scoff at, Lunn said.
“I have heard criminal cases, rape, burglary and other felony crimes as a judge,” Lunn said. “I spent my first 11 years on the Supreme Court on the trial bench, the highest trial bench in New York state. I spent the final three years of my term on the appellate division, the highest appeals court in the state.”
Lunn also said the time he spent growing up in other countries gave him a unique perspective into the American justice system, which caused him to pursue a legal career.
“I had the benefit to live overseas for two years in Guatemala,” Lunn said. “We left suddenly because of a military coup. As U.S. citizens, we were able to flee back to the states. It was important to me because I saw the positive aspects of our legally based system compared to a bully with tanks.”
Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net
The Candidates:
Name: Elma Bellini
Age: 53
Occupation: Acting state Supreme Court justice
Education: Juris doctor degree from Syracuse University
Family Status: Married with two children, ages 12 and 7, and two step-children, ages 19 and 27.
Judicial experience: Four years as an acting Supreme Court justice, three years as a Monroe County judge and nearly 10 years as an assistant public defender.
Name: Paul Riordan
Age: 56
Occupation: Principal law clerk for Monroe County Judge John Connell
Education: Juris doctor degree from New England School of Law
Family Status: Married with five children.
Judicial experience: Worked for 23 years with the law firm Osborn, Reed and Burke as an attorney and a partner and worked as an assistant district attorney in Monroe County.
Name: Robert Lunn
Age: 61
Occupation: state Supreme Court justice
Education: Juris doctor degree from Cornell University
Family Status: Married with four children and two grandchildren.
Judicial experience: Spent the past 14 years as a state Supreme Court judge, worked for 20 years in private practice, spent two years as an elected judge in the town of Penfield and worked as a Monroe County assistant district attorney.
Name: Joanne Winslow
Age: 50
Occupation: Monroe County prosecutor for violent felonies.
Education: Juris doctor degree from Albany Law School
Family Status: Single
Judicial experience: Has spent 22 years working as a prosecutor for the Monroe County District Attorney's Office, and one year at a civil law firm.
But with nearly two decades each of experience as courtroom attorneys, Paul Riordan (D) and Monroe County Assistant District Attorney Joanne Winslow (D, I), believed they were just as qualified as any judge.
“Just because a person wears a robe doesn't make them the most qualified to be a judge,” Winslow said. “I have other characteristics that will make me an excellent judge, and hopefully the voters will realize that as well.”
Winslow, who described herself as fair, understanding, knowledgeable and a good listener, said her 20 years of experience prosecuting cases with the Monroe County District Attorney's Office gave her a unique perspective on how to handle the law.
“I know what it's like to see a case from the victims' and the (defendants') shoes, and that's important as a judge,” Winslow said. “My job is to seek justice, not just convictions. Sometimes that means seeking the maximum penalty and sometimes that means seeking something much lesser in the interest of justice, so I will offer a reasonable plea to help people get at the root of their problem so that justice does not become a revolving door.”
But with more than 8,000 cases under her belt as an elected Monroe County judge and an appointed member of the state Supreme Court, where she helped to implement a new domestic violence court, Bellini said she would be able correctly make the tough decisions that were in the best interest of justice.
Bellini also pointed that on her downtime, she would often help other county courts in the district with their case load. In Cayuga County, Bellini presided over the Clarence Brown trial, where she eventually sentenced Brown to 30 years in prison for promoting prostitution and robbing migrant workers. She is also currently the judge overseeing the Michelle Davis case, where prosecutors are attempting to send her back to prison for killing her autistic child in a house fire.
“I think I have been a fairly successful (judge) and that gives me a good base of experience to work from,” Bellini said. “I am pretty tough on crime, but I am also fair to defendants.”
Riordan, another candidate who has never been an elected judge, said he had a different perspective on the law because of his wide range of career experiences. Riordan, who is currently working as a law clerk for Monroe County Judge John Connell, said one of his tasks has been to help Connell research legal issues before making a ruling.
“I am uniquely qualified because I have a criminal background, I have experience as a prosecutor, I have worked in civil trials and I have worked in judicial law,” Riordan said. “Working for a judge, I have seen the pressures and understand the demands ... and I know I have the courage to do the unpopular things, like suppressing evidence, if I know its the right thing to do.”
Because newly elected state Supreme Court judges are often assigned to civil law issues, Riordan said he had another leg up on his opponents because of his legal specialization in that field.
“You don't go to a heart surgeon if you have a bad knee, you go to someone that specializes in that field of medicine,” Riordan said. “The same is true in law, you want someone who specializes in civil law and that's me.”
But 17 years of experience as a county, supreme court and appellate court judge was nothing to scoff at, Lunn said.
“I have heard criminal cases, rape, burglary and other felony crimes as a judge,” Lunn said. “I spent my first 11 years on the Supreme Court on the trial bench, the highest trial bench in New York state. I spent the final three years of my term on the appellate division, the highest appeals court in the state.”
Lunn also said the time he spent growing up in other countries gave him a unique perspective into the American justice system, which caused him to pursue a legal career.
“I had the benefit to live overseas for two years in Guatemala,” Lunn said. “We left suddenly because of a military coup. As U.S. citizens, we were able to flee back to the states. It was important to me because I saw the positive aspects of our legally based system compared to a bully with tanks.”
Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net
The Candidates:
Name: Elma Bellini
Age: 53
Occupation: Acting state Supreme Court justice
Education: Juris doctor degree from Syracuse University
Family Status: Married with two children, ages 12 and 7, and two step-children, ages 19 and 27.
Judicial experience: Four years as an acting Supreme Court justice, three years as a Monroe County judge and nearly 10 years as an assistant public defender.
Name: Paul Riordan
Age: 56
Occupation: Principal law clerk for Monroe County Judge John Connell
Education: Juris doctor degree from New England School of Law
Family Status: Married with five children.
Judicial experience: Worked for 23 years with the law firm Osborn, Reed and Burke as an attorney and a partner and worked as an assistant district attorney in Monroe County.
Name: Robert Lunn
Age: 61
Occupation: state Supreme Court justice
Education: Juris doctor degree from Cornell University
Family Status: Married with four children and two grandchildren.
Judicial experience: Spent the past 14 years as a state Supreme Court judge, worked for 20 years in private practice, spent two years as an elected judge in the town of Penfield and worked as a Monroe County assistant district attorney.
Name: Joanne Winslow
Age: 50
Occupation: Monroe County prosecutor for violent felonies.
Education: Juris doctor degree from Albany Law School
Family Status: Single
Judicial experience: Has spent 22 years working as a prosecutor for the Monroe County District Attorney's Office, and one year at a civil law firm.
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