Victor Republicans will choose a candidate for Town Justice during a primary election on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012. The voting, normally held on a Tuesday, was changed this year in observance of 9/11. Polling hours will be from 12 - 9 p.m. Registered voters from districts 7 and 10 who used to vote at Victor Town Court will now vote at Town Hall. The Ontario County Board of Elections will be notifying voters in the affected districts. All other voters will go to their usual polling places.
Michael A. Jones, Jr. and Thomas “Toby” Reh are the two candidates for Victor Town Justice. By law a candidate for the bench may carry petitions with or without party endorsement. Reh is the endorsed candidate of the Victor Republican Committee and the Ontario County Conservative Party.
In February 2012 the Republican Committee ended the caucus format in favor of having candidates collect signatures from the community. The new process only applies to town offices. In the village of Victor, the non-partisan citizens committee nominates candidates to fill vacant positions at a caucus.
The town has 4,233 registered Republicans and 2,422 registered Democrats.
MICHAEL A. JONES, JR.
AGE 40
OCCUPATION Attorney, 1998 graduate of Syracuse University College of Law
HOMETOWN Victor
NUMBER OF YEARS AT CURRENT RESIDENCE 7 years, with more than 12 years in Victor
FAMILY Daughter Audrey, age 8, and son William, age 5
PARTY AFFILIATION Republican / bi-partisan
INCUMBENT OR CHALLENGER Vacant seat
What strengths and qualifications do you bring to the position?
My unique strengths and qualifications include my experience working as the Victor Town Attorney where I drafted many of the Town codes. I also have experience managing municipal budgets and have proven success in obtaining taxpayer savings (through) budget management and with the legal results I obtained.
Additionally, I have prior training and certification as a child advocate from the Supreme Court, Appellant Division, Fourth Department. This training is an example of my professional focus on the needs of young people in the court system and in developing strategies to correct inappropriate behaviors while there is still a chance for rehabilitation.
As a former prosecutor I coordinated the District Attorney's interaction with service agencies assisting victims of domestic violence and held offenders responsible for criminal behavior. As a attorney in private practice I have helped individuals and families in crisis. These experiences provide me with the ability to bring a fair and balanced approach to the cases brought before the Town Court.
Victor Republicans will choose a candidate for Town Justice during a primary election on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012. The voting, normally held on a Tuesday, was changed this year in observance of 9/11. Polling hours will be from 12 - 9 p.m. Registered voters from districts 7 and 10 who used to vote at Victor Town Court will now vote at Town Hall. The Ontario County Board of Elections will be notifying voters in the affected districts. All other voters will go to their usual polling places.
Michael A. Jones, Jr. and Thomas “Toby” Reh are the two candidates for Victor Town Justice. By law a candidate for the bench may carry petitions with or without party endorsement. Reh is the endorsed candidate of the Victor Republican Committee and the Ontario County Conservative Party.
In February 2012 the Republican Committee ended the caucus format in favor of having candidates collect signatures from the community. The new process only applies to town offices. In the village of Victor, the non-partisan citizens committee nominates candidates to fill vacant positions at a caucus.
The town has 4,233 registered Republicans and 2,422 registered Democrats.
MICHAEL A. JONES, JR.
AGE 40
OCCUPATION Attorney, 1998 graduate of Syracuse University College of Law
HOMETOWN Victor
NUMBER OF YEARS AT CURRENT RESIDENCE 7 years, with more than 12 years in Victor
FAMILY Daughter Audrey, age 8, and son William, age 5
PARTY AFFILIATION Republican / bi-partisan
INCUMBENT OR CHALLENGER Vacant seat
What strengths and qualifications do you bring to the position?
My unique strengths and qualifications include my experience working as the Victor Town Attorney where I drafted many of the Town codes. I also have experience managing municipal budgets and have proven success in obtaining taxpayer savings (through) budget management and with the legal results I obtained.
Additionally, I have prior training and certification as a child advocate from the Supreme Court, Appellant Division, Fourth Department. This training is an example of my professional focus on the needs of young people in the court system and in developing strategies to correct inappropriate behaviors while there is still a chance for rehabilitation.
As a former prosecutor I coordinated the District Attorney's interaction with service agencies assisting victims of domestic violence and held offenders responsible for criminal behavior. As a attorney in private practice I have helped individuals and families in crisis. These experiences provide me with the ability to bring a fair and balanced approach to the cases brought before the Town Court.
What professional or personal experience has equipped you for the position?
In my career as an attorney I am proud to have had the opportunity to appear before a sitting Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of the Town of Victor and been able to contribute to a successful outcome to the Town and Village of Victor in that case.
I have also argued at New York's highest court, the Court of Appeals in a cases that broadened the rights of property taxpayers all across the State of New York.
In my 15 years as an attorney I had handled thousands of matters in hundreds of Town Courts all across the State of New York and conducted hundreds of trials, these matters ranged from traffic tickets to homicide cases.
I am proud that I have succeeded in my professional accomplishments through my own efforts. I put myself through law school and established my legal practice on my own merits, without generational assistance.
I have been actively involved in this community for the last 12 years. I have served as a Republican Committee Member, a volunteer for organizations such as Camp Good Days and Serenity House, and as an active member and leader of various professional organizations.
I have taught college students in the area of law and ethics. I have also lectured fellow attorneys to meet their continuing education requirements in the area of Town Law.
Because of the broad depth of my legal and life experience, I can appreciate the various perceptions of the parties who present their cases to the Court.
In your opinion, what are the top challenges facing Victor Town Court today?
—The Court facilities need to be effectively managed. As former Town Attorney I was involved in the construction of the current Town Hall, which was delivered to taxpayers at no tax increase. I also worked with the Town Board to establish and negotiate the lease for the location of the current Town Court. I strongly believe that the Town of Victor should own the Court facilities, instead of renting.
—Court facilities must also comply with state requirements for security and accountability. I am most qualified to deliver a Town-owned and state of the art courthouse at no tax increase.
—Victor operates one of the busiest town courts in the State of New of York. The Town Court Justice must provide sufficient time with each case so as to exercise appropriate judgment in each case, especially when a young person is involved. At the same time, the backlog from having only one judge operate the Court for the past year requires efficient judgment without undue influence from any other component of the criminal justice system.
If elected, what’s one new change or initiative you plan to accomplish?
I strongly believe that the Town of Victor should own its own courthouse and stop wasting taxpayer money by renting space.
THOMAS "TOBY" REH
AGE 42
OCCUPATION Attorney at Rose and Reh, LLC, Victor, New York
HOMETOWN Victor
NUMBER OF YEARS AT CURRENT RESIDENCE 6, with a total of 34 years in Victor
FAMILY Wife Deanna , daughters Madeline and McKenna, ages 7 and 5, and son Kelan, age 5. My parents Dave and Sue and my brother Brian also live nearby and are Victor residents.
PARTY AFFILIATION Republican, currently the endorsed Republican candidate and endorsed Conservative Party candidate for the Victor Town Justice position
INCUMBENT OR CHALLENGER Vacant seat
What strengths and qualifications do you bring to the position?
I bring a strong sense of morality, ethics and justice, and a strong belief in personal responsibility to this position. My legal and life experiences, combined with my guiding principles, make me the candidate that would best serve the Town of Victor. My devotion to and affection for Victor is a result of growing up here and raising my family here. This is strong motivation to be a great judge for our town.
What professional or personal experience has equipped you for the position?
I have had a memorable 16 years as a practicing attorney, including 11 years as an Assistant District Attorney, almost five years as a private attorney, in addition to my work with community endeavors. The first eleven years of my career were devoted to public service as an Assistant District Attorney. I started my career with the Orange County District Attorney's Office from 1996-1998, and then moved on to the Wyoming County District Attorney's Office from 1998-2002, where I was named First Assistant District Attorney, tried my first murder case at the age of 28, and was responsible for training the young prosecutors in our office. In 2002, I moved back to Victor and worked for the next five years from 2002-2007 as a felony prosecutor for the Ontario County District Attorney's Office. During that time, I worked hard to secure justice for countless innocent crime victims and gain their trust and respect, as well as that of the police officers with whom I worked, and the judges before whom I appeared. I also taught both new and experienced police officers as a Certified Police Trainer.
After eleven years, I left public service to start a small law firm (Rose and Reh, LLC) with my long-time friend Angelo Rose. We have run our successful law practice from our office in the Village of Victor for nearly five years, and I have gained a wealth of experience from my work at our firm, handling all types of legal matters with an emphasis on litigation.
My commitment to the community includes acting as a member of the Finger Lakes Child Abuse Response Team from 2009-2011, as a board member of the Victor Chapter of Dollars for Scholars from 2008 through the present, and I am currently the co-chair of the Rose and Reh Annual Christmas Party to benefit the Golisano Cancer Center's Patient Needs Fund.
In your opinion, what are the top three challenges facing Victor Town Court today?
The Victor Town Court is one of the most efficiently operating Courts in New York State, despite also being one of the busiest courts in the state. The primary challenge is to maintain that efficiency as the caseload continues to increase. At the same time, the Court must operate in a manner that ensures that cases are still handled with proper attention, and that all those who find themselves before the Court have the opportunity to be fairly heard.
If elected, what’s one new change or initiative you plan to accomplish?
The current Court facility is being leased at a substantial cost to the town taxpayers. I will work with the Town Board in their efforts to provide a safe and secure facility that is also cost effective. My excellent rapport and familiarity with the current court staff and facilities will allow me to quickly acclimate to my duties. I will work diligently to operate the court at the highest professional standards while ensuring that the court operates at maximum efficiency.
