Saratoga Springs City Court, one of the busiest courts in our county with a backlog of cases, was granted funds for a second full-time judge position by the New York State Office of Court Administration. Our court carries a heavy caseload of the most prominent and complex cases within the criminal justice system of Saratoga County.
On Dec. 9, 2016, a panel of interviewers, set-up by Mayor Joanne Yepsen, met to interview five candidates to fill a one-year vacancy for one of two city court judge positions. The purpose of the interviews was to score each candidate on their suitability for the job.
The panel agreed on the scoring of three candidates, and disagreed on two. All interviewers agreed that Francine Vero was book smart, yet she had no experience as a judge. As a lawyer for 10 years, she was demonstrably ambitious, aggressive and probably saw the Saratoga City Court as a steppingstone.
Two interviewers believed Vero's obvious inexperience would contribute to a greater backlog of cases. Saratoga, a small community with a small-town budget, required an experienced judge, accustomed to effectively expediting a heavy caseload, and also one who lived in the community more than five years.
As the only woman to serve on this panel, along with a registered independent, we were two votes against versus one vote for Vero. Still, the mayor appointed Vero to the vacancy. Why? Was it because Vero was a lawyer with the same law firm that represented the mayor in 2016 on her ethics charges?
In November voters have an opportunity to do what our panel, set up by Mayor Yepsen, was not given the ability to have: a binding vote. It is abundantly clear Andrew Carter Blumenberg—practicing law for 22 years, 10 of which as Saratoga Court County Public Defender, while residing in Saratoga Springs—is far more qualified than Vero. Assigned to City Court during this period, Blumenberg has represented thousands of less fortunate people in criminal matters. Without question he is the best and most suitable candidate for the job.
Winnie Baden
Saratoga Springs
