Tug Hill court consolidation initiative awaits Assembly vote

The state Senate has once again passed legislation that would enable the three Tug Hill towns of Harrisburg, Montague and Pinckney to consolidate their courts.

And state Assemblywoman Dierdre K. Scozzafava, R-Gouverneur, said she hopes her colleagues will soon support the landmark bill, as well.

"The focus is probably going to be on the budget for at least the next couple of weeks," Ms. Scozzafava said.

However, once a budget is in place, the focus will return to local bills, and "We'll have to figure out what we need to do," Ms. Scozzafava said.

The assemblywoman said she is optimistic that the budget development process will be done in a relatively timely manner, despite concerns that the state's difficult fiscal situation could drag it on indefinitely.

The proposed law — which on Monday passed the Senate by a 58-0 vote — would amend the state Uniform Justice Court Act to allow two or more adjacent towns with a single town justice to use a single court facility as well.

"That's a great bill," said state Sen. Joseph A. Griffo, R-Rome, who sponsored it.

The Assembly version, sponsored by Ms. Scozzafava and co-sponsored by RoAnn M. Destito, D-Rome, and Sandy Galef, D-Westchester, has been sent to the judiciary committee.

The proposed law passed the Senate in September, but the Assembly did not hold a regular session again until January. Because the Assembly version was not considered in the same calendar year as the Senate one, the Senate had to pass a new version in order for it to move forward, Ms. Scozzafava said.

In fall 2007, the three towns, along with the Lewis County Legislature, requested the state legislation, which would allow for the creation of the state's first truly combined town court. Fifth Judicial District officials also support the plan.

Current law allows for two or more towns to share either a justice or a facility, but not both.

Montague, through a series of temporary orders from the Fifth Judicial District administrative judge, has shared a justice with Pinckney since 1998 because no Montague residents have been interested in the job. Terry A. Brownell, a Pinckney resident, served as justice for both towns until stepping down in late 2007.

When no potential replacement came forward, Harrisburg Justice John B. Woods was allowed by temporary order to serve as justice for Pinckney and Montague as well. Since then, Judge Woods has essentially served as a circuit judge, holding court in three different locations each month.

The towns plan to use the Harrisburg town hall, built in 2002 on Cobb Road, as the primary court facility because it is relatively new, spacious and centrally located and has free wireless Internet service.