It is not surprising that Justice Tanya Sirago, Executive Director of the NYS Magistrate’s Association would oppose any attempt to consolidate the justice courts. That is what the SMA has done every time there is any discussion of consolidating or replacing the justice court system. There are more than 1,200 local criminal courts, referred to as ‘justice’ courts, presided over by more than 1,800 town and village judges. More than two third of those judges are not lawyers.

In 1983, in People v. Charles F. then associate Judge Kaye wrote, in dissent, that “…a lay person regardless of his educational qualifications or experience is not a constitutionally acceptable substitute for a member of the Bar.” In North v. Russell Supreme Court Justice Stewart opined that the right to counsel becomes meaningless if the person hearing the case is incapable of understanding the arguments being made—a ‘hollow mockery’ is how he put it.

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