Brooklyn attorney John O'Hara, the first person charged with illegal voting since 1873, when Susan B. Anthony cast a vote before women were legally allowed to do so, has over the past several years been reinstated to the bar and had his name cleared.

Now O'Hara is setting his sights on a new challenge: He wants to lead a slate of insurgent candidates to run this year in the Democratic primary for open seats on the bench in Brooklyn Civil Court.

“Better to be a judge than be judged,” said O'Hara, who said he could “bring a perspective to the bench that no one else brings.”