An investigation conducted by the inspector general of the state court system has recently determined that two judges and four staff members of the Rensselaer County Family Court were involved in a conspiracy to bully, harass, demean, and intimidate another employee of the court. We obtained this information through documents obtained by Rob Gavin, a journalist from The Times Union. It is important to highlight this accomplishment not to boast about our newspaper’s watchdog journalism, but rather to emphasize the fact that without our reporting, the public would have remained unaware of the reasons behind the quiet relocation of elected judge Jill Kehn to preside over cases in Albany County. On the other hand, Elizabeth Walsh, the other judge implicated in the inspector general’s findings, continues to preside over cases in the Family Court in Troy.
To our astonishment, two out of the four employees who engaged in the alleged bullying, harassment, demeaning, and intimidation are still employed by Judge Kehn in her new chambers. One of the employees retired, and the fourth employee was dismissed from their position. It is incomprehensible how the state Office of Court Administration deems it appropriate for staffers, let alone judges, who have participated in such behavior to retain influential roles in Family Court cases, which often encompass complex and sensitive matters. It is beyond our understanding.
Despite the significance of this matter to the public, the court system continues to withhold information, citing the confidential nature of judicial ethics investigations. If this is the judiciary’s notion of transparency and accountability, then it is high time for a change. Chief Judge Rowan Wilson, who has recently assumed office, must thoroughly evaluate the current system and find a more effective approach to balance the rights of the accused with the public’s expectation of judges who possess impeccable character and are not subject to suspicion.
Moving on to another issue, the state of New York is currently facing a significant surplus of cannabis, primarily brought about by the government’s encouragement of rapid cultivation and their lackadaisical approach in approving the retail operations for selling the product. The recently passed legislation that permits the sale of the surplus crop to tribal nations for distribution in their shops is not a solution we can endorse.
By offloading such a substantial amount of marijuana to tribal shops, we would only add to the list of businesses negatively impacted by New York’s slow rollout. Instead of benefiting growers, non-native shops would suffer due to the sudden influx of cannabis into tribal dispensaries.
Therefore, a more favorable solution would be for the state to purchase the portion of the crop that will remain unsold and subsequently dispose of it by burning. Although it may seem wasteful considering that it is a valuable agricultural product in New York, this approach appears to be the most equitable way to mitigate the short-term damage caused.
Of course, precautions should be taken to ensure everyone maintains a safe distance during the disposal process.
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