The OBSERVER’s View: Experience matters for Family Court judge
Experience matters for Family Court judge
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Voters have a choice when it comes to Chautauqua County Family Court Judge this year, with incumbent Michael Sullivan facing off against challenger Alexandria Moss.
Both candidates are from the north county and come with qualifications that suit the position. Sullivan has served as one of the county's two Family Court judges, handling more than 16,000 cases in Chautauqua County Family Court and another 850 from Cattaraugus County. Sullivan has also in the Court Improvement Project has provided him with a broader perspective on the challenges facing Family Courts and the importance of collaboration among judges, attorneys, social-service agencies, and other professionals and the Better for Families Program which replaced the drug treatment court. Prior to being elected Family Court Judge, Sullivan had 30 years of experience as an attorney, his last 20 years focused on family law. He served as the liaison from Chautauqua County to the Attorney for the Child program and a member of the New York State Child Welfare Court Improvement Project steering committee.
Moss comes with her own credentials. She has more than a decade of experience in family law and nearly a decade representing children in Family Court proceedings Since 2017, Moss has served as an Attorney for the Child, representing and advocating for the interests of children involved in Family Court proceedings. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with children and families navigating difficult and often emotional circumstances.
Both candidates have experience working with children involved in Family Court cases, and both know the impact Family Court judges have on children and families in Chautauqua County. Ultimately, experience matters -- and Sullivan has a breadth of courtroom experience that simply can't be ignored in this race. Sullivan's lengthy history as a volunteer firefighter, mayor of Fredonia and time on the Fredonia-Dunkirk Salvation Army Advisory Board have, in our opinion, exposed Sullivan to the types of life experience that we think add to his voluminous Family Court history. That makes him the best candidate for Family Court when voters head to the polls over the next couple of weeks.