VOTE TO DISRUPT INJUSTICE

For most voters in Brooklyn, including virtually every Democrat in Brownstone Brooklyn and Sunset Park (outside of the vicinity of Chinatown) there will only be one race on the ballot in this year’s primary: a seat on the Civil Court bench. For most of you, this is a race involving candidates you never heard of the day before yesterday who you won’t remember the day after tomorrow. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t important.

To a large extent, the quality of our justice depends upon the quality of our judges. I do not come here to denigrate any candidate, or even to denigrate the Party organization (and those who know me know that I have no trouble doing that), which actually put together a pretty good slate of judicial candidates, only one of whom faces a primary.

guably have some upsides.

I would not expect Ms’ Haskin’s bench to be “hot,” but hot benches, while more fun to watch, arguably do not always result in the best decisions. So, my guess is she would perform her job functions competently, and would not embarrass the system. In too many years, that is the best we can do, and in some years I’ve gladly voted for judicial candidates of similar (and sometimes even somewhat inferior) quality.

the same forum (something I’ve done multiple times) who, whatever their public stance, has ventured a different position privately. It is a pretty open secret that virtually everyone in Brooklyn politics who’s seen them in action, lawyers and lay-people alike, understands that Linda Wilson is far more qualified.

FOR EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING OR EMPLOYMENT INQUIRIES, email gbrook@pipeline.com

Nino Pantano The Red Hook

Founded June 2010 by George Fiala and Frank Galeano

Let me start by saying that court attorney Turquoise Haskin, the one County Organization judicial candidate facing a primary, is adequately qualified to be a judge, although, in my humble opinion, she could probably benefit from a bit more seasoning.

Ms. Haskin is not blessed with great speaking skills; she is rarely fast on her feet, and often seems to have trouble breaking away from her prechewed talking points, but while such things are not entirely irrelevant to the bench, she appears to have decent educational credential and legal experience, as well as a worldview that indicates a good heart and an open mind. Although well-connected to some Party Leaders, Ms Haskin sometimes display a political naivete that may ar-

Sometimes, that’s just the best we can do with the choices we have. But this year we can do better. This year, we can vote for Linda Wilson.

In contrast to Ms. Haskin, Wilson, a court attorney in the Appellate Division, who is backed by most of the organized reform and insurgent elements who have taken sides, is one of the most impressive candidates for judicial office I’ve ever seen, in addition to having been an outstanding civic activist with groups such as the Park Slope Civic Council.

Ms Wilson has been served in nearly every court a Civil Court Judge might find themselves working in, as well as some they would not. While her career has primarily been within the Court system, the breadth of Wilson’s experience is pretty stunning.

Frankly, there are few I’ve spoken to who have seen these candidates at

I am not exaggerating when I say this isn’t just a matter of opinion; Linda Wilson is just objectively better. In her public appearances, Linda Wilson does not need pre-chewed talking points; she spontaneously speaks simultaneously from the heart and mind, answering left field questions with sophistication and thoughtfulness, looking at things from every plausible angle and always looking for the justice underlying the law. She is dogged and determined to find the right answer, for as long as it takes, and to figure out how to best do justice within the parameters of the law, and when appropriate, to test those parameters. In fact, Wilson came up with a pretty damned good turn of phrase, telling one audience, she sees her job function as to “disrupt injustice.”

Wow! How I wish I came up with that one.

As an adversary of the County organization who has not hesitated to back the County candidate in judicial races where they are the most qualified, I can say unequivocally that this is not one of those times.

On June 27th, please vote Linda Wilson for Civil Court Judge.

I have to say that even in those year where we are blessed with many choices in many contests, we are rarely blessed with such a fine opportunity to do the right thing.