Hugh Reynolds: The good side

In 16th century England, star-chamber proceedings, where judges met in secret to deliberate the fate of persons accused of treason by the king or queen, were not infrequent. People were arrested, tried, convicted and ultimately executed. Considering such, our Founding Fathers, who studied these matters closely, made sure that our judicial system would be open and accessible.

Cardinale, in truth not a bad guy, is no legal scholar. He offered a weak rationale for this modern-day abuse. “No matter who the committee recommends, there will probably be a primary and it will all come out then,” he said.

Maybe, but it clearly begs the issue. To paraphrase some of the hackneyed rhetoric attendant to the announcement of the third judge, justice concealed is justice abused.

To which some Democratic bosses might say, “Harrumph!”

Judge ye

Senior Family Court Judge Marianne Mizel called with a correction to last week’s column which had her mistakenly running this year. Judge Mizel, a Republican, was elected to her third 10-year term last year. She’s not on the ballot in November. Surrogate Judge Mary Work, a Democrat running without opposition, is the other judicial candidate. By statute, Work, 68, will retire in two years.

Judge Mizel also pointed out that John Beisel, a Family Court hopeful, is a support magistrate for the court, a lower-level independent hearing officer. The recently-issued county directory had Beisel listed under Democratic Judge Tony McGinty. The annual directory is noted for accuracy, if not timeliness, and is thus a usually reliable source.

Beisel is one of four candidates for a third judgeship to be elected in November. Come to think of it, Mizel, Beisel and McGinty might be a great name for a future law firm.