Candidate Profile: Brian Hughes For Southold Town Justice

SOUTHOLD, NY — Suffolk County residents will be hitting the polls soon to elect local representatives.

The race is on in local town and village races leading up to Election Day, which, this year, falls on Tuesday, November 5. Patch asked those running for office to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles in the days leading up to the election.

Incumbent Brian Hughes, 70, is seeking re-election as a Southold Town Justice. While he has no party designation — the Board of Elections calls those not enrolled in any party a 'blank,' he said — he is running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines. His opponent is Dan Ross, a Democrat also running on the Libertarian line.

Hughes has a Juris Doctor. He has served as Southold Town Justice for four years and as an attorney for 30 years.

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Brian Hughes below.

Patch: The single most pressing issue facing our community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Brian Hughes: The single most pressing issue facing our court is that New York State recently passed sweeping criminal justice legislation which strictly curtails the use of bail, pretrial detention, speedy trial provisions and trial procedures. These measures will go into effect January 2020. There is concern about the unfunded mandates included in this legislation and how it will impact upon the town. We will continue to work on these challenges and determine how best to implement the necessary changes so that the court and town are in compliance.

P: What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?:

H: Approximately 95% of the caseload in our justice court is criminal in nature. I am the only candidate with the 35 years of criminal trial experience as a lawyer, prosecutor, defense attorney, and now judge. I am also the only candidate with the experience of being a manager in large government agencies. I also have the unique experience of successfully investigating and prosecuting government officials for fraud, waste and abuse. These factors enabled me to step into this position in 2015 and help get the Court back on track with its finances and other irregularities.

P: Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

H: In 2015 I promised to volunteer to represent Southold on the East End drug court. I continue helping our neighbors, friends and families struggling with substance abuse. Sometimes sitting four days a week. In order to juggle my time and responsibilities in Southold with the requirements of the drug court I closed my law practice.

P: What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

H: In 2015 our court was in disarray. Funds were missing from the court accounts and there was a perception that justice was not equally applied. The national, regional and state media were negatively reporting on our court. Southold and its people deserved better.

I decided to run, bringing my 30 years of legal and management experience to help restore our court. I knew I could make a difference, and I did.

Recently an experienced trial attorney, a former prosecutor and defense attorney who practiced across the county had this to say about the Southold Town Justice Court, “Hands down the best court to practice in Suffolk County.”

P: What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

H: I started my career in public service as a firefighter with the FDNY and was then promoted to fire marshal. While doing this I completed college and law school. After getting my law degree, I was recruited to be a NYS Assistant Attorney General. A few years later I was asked to be the Chief of the Arson Bureau in the Brooklyn District Attorney's office. I started out fighting fires, moved up to investigating fires and then I was prosecuting those who set fires.