City judge candidates asked to have evaluations

Candidates who intend to run this fall for the Ogdensburg City Court judgeship are being asked to submit their qualifications to be evaluated by an independent commission.

Ogdensburg City Judge George E. Silver has not said whether he intends to run for re-election in November.

The Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commissions are a statewide network of independent screening panels in each of New York's judicial districts.

The 15-member panels review the qualifications of judicial candidates for Supreme Court, Surrogate Court, Family Court and City Court.

Alexander Lesyk, a member of the screening panel and former St. Lawrence County chief assistant district attorney, said the committee asks candidates to participate in the process voluntarily.

"We meet in Saratoga and review the questionnaires" that candidates fill in and submit to the committee, he said.

The panel also reviews any ethics complaints and how the complaints have been resolved.

The committee issues a finding that candidates are either qualified or unqualified, he said.

"We determine whether candidates meet a certain minimum level of qualifications" he said. "The vast majority of candidates participate."

Candidates who choose not to participate often find themselves subject to criticism from their opponents during contested elections.

"It's not for me to judge, but other candidates will use it like a sledgehammer," Mr. Lesyk said.

He said the system was set up to inform the public whether candidates for judgeships meet "certain minimal" levels of qualifications.

"It depoliticizes the selection process," he said.