Cayuga County Legislator Dan Sincebaugh last week pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge stemming from a domestic dispute at his home in January.

Just as he did in the days after his arrest, Sincebaugh offered no public statement on his actions, no apologies to the people he represents in Cayuga County District 14, no explanation for why voters should trust that he won't cause embarrassment again.

His only words came in the quick answers he gave to the judge in the process of admitting guilt, and for an elected county legislator - one of just 15 people who each represent thousands of county residents - that's not enough.

The public expects elected officials to abide by high standards in their public and private lives; when an elected official is convicted of a crime, that person has fallen short of those standards.

That doesn't mean there's no room for mistakes, but it does mean that when something does happen that calls an elected official's integrity into question, there needs to be some public accountability.

We know Sincebaugh understands this reality. In his efforts to eliminate mileage reimbursement for county legislators' travels to meetings, Sincebaugh has wisely pointed out that legislators know what they're signing up for when they seek this job. They should realize and accept that the work requires some sacrifices from time to time.

In Sincebaugh's case, that means he must understand that he's not a private citizen. He can't pretend this unfortunate incident never happened and expect voters to support him in the future.

There's no question that Sincebaugh can redeem himself for this mistake, but his silence is making it considerably harder.