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A Few Clouds McLaughlin, Margulies vie for Lynbrook village justice
Two candidates will vie for Lynbrook village justice in the March 16 election.
Incumbent William McLaughlin will be challenged by attorney Josh Margulies when polls open at Greis Park from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Election Day.
Ahead of the election, the Herald asked the candidates questions that are pertinent to the position.
Herald: Why are you running for village justice?
McLaughlin: I am running because I have 24 years experience in the position and I am able to run the court in a very efficient and effective manner.
Margulies: Believe it or not, I’m running because of a parking ticket.
And it wasn’t even mine. My wife Elizabeth and I walked out of a PTA meeting last year, and accompanied a friend to her car. She found a ticket for having blocked a driveway, but she hadn't; in fact, she was parked several feet away from that driveway. I think whoever wrote the ticket did so based on a perspective from the front of the car; had the officer viewed the car straight-on, they would have seen that the car didn't block anything. But what was our friend to do? Hire a lawyer, and spend more money fighting the ticket than paying it? Waste several hours attending one of the few, crowded sessions at which parking ticket objections are heard? One way or another, she would be paying — and that's just not acceptable. Neither is favoritism. Over and over, I've heard complaints from people who received tickets because their cars extended an inch or two into the sidewalk, while, simultaneously, a neighbor who is a village employee or a powerful politician has parked his car with impunity, even as it extends almost into the street. We can't have that. Our rules need to be clear, and they need to be enforced fairly.
Herald: What are the goals and responsibilities you have for your position?
McLaughlin: My goal is to continue to have the court continue to be one of the most productive village courts in the state and to continue to be able to administer justice in a fair, equitable and non biased fashion.
Margulies: This system needs to be updated to the standards of the 21st century, and to address the special issues presented by the pandemic. Also, the system needs to work for the people, the citizens. not just the attorneys. There needs to be transparency. As of Tuesday, a review of the Lynbrook Village Court webpage shows some limited information about parking tickets and traffic tickets. But not a word about criminal cases, civil cases, small claims actions and family court matters — including orders of protection —all of which are issues which fall within the purview of Town and Village courts. Lawyers who appear regularly in Lynbrook Village Court are, no doubt, familiar with its workings, but what about the average citizen who was ticketed unfairly, or a participant in small claims court, or someone needing to seek an order of protection against their abuser? The opacity, the dearth of information available, may benefit attorneys, but they leave the average citizen out in the cold.
There is still no policy about the coronavirus, and the court needs one. There’s no publicized procedure for appearing remotely in court during the pandemic. Even the hours during which court is in session are unavailable via the web. Meanwhile, a call to the court, after 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, produces just a short recording with the court’s hours. but with no reference to procedures, nor directions as to where to find information on relevant court actions.
Justices are supposed to be on-call 24 hours a day, which sounds reasonable to me, especially insofar as orders of protection might need to be issued at any time. We have terrific court personnel, all of whom are skilled at what they do, but the system itself impedes true progress, and fixing that will be my primary goal.
Herald: Why do you think the public should vote for you?
McLaughlin: Having lived in Lynbrook for so long, I know every neighborhood, every street, every school and every organization. This helps me deal with all types of cases which come before the court and to be able to adjudicate those cases fairly and in the best interest of our village and it’s residents. These are the reasons I think the public should vote for me. As a trial attorney and judge, I have been involved in hundreds of trials that have gone to verdict.
Margulies: My I’m not affiliated with any established political party, not opposed to anyone or anything, and not beholden to anything but a respect for the law and a penchant for fairness. I'm focused on a view of the future, and on ideas and methods for achieving success through cooperative efforts and consensus-building. That's why I named my party "Time for Unity." I believe in that statement. I believe we need unity now, more than ever. I know this role very well; in fact, my first job after graduating law school was to prosecute the cases over which I will now be presiding.
I have taught public speaking for many years, and wholeheartedly understand and agree with Jerry Seinfeld's joke: "The number one fear of all Americans is public speaking. *Death* is number *five*. That means that most people attending a funeral would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy."
Public speaking can be terrifying for many people. The fear is compounded when the person must speak in a large room imprinted with an imposing aura of authority. Accordingly, many people either pay tickets for violations they hadn't made, or pay attorneys, which costs more than the fine. That's untenable. And it's squarely in opposition to the spirit of American law. People should feel comfortable in a courtroom, not intimidated. They should feel that they will be heard, and that they will be treated fairly, and, most of all, that they will be respected. In my courtroom, they will feel that respect; it's my highest priority.
