Putnam Candidate Profile: Linson For County Judge

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — Putnam County has several contested races in this fall's election, including for county judge. Southeast-Brewster Patch asked candidates in contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and has been publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Camille S. Linson is running for Putnam County Judge. Her opponent is Joseph J. Spofford, Jr. He holds the Republican, Conservative and Independence party lines on the ballot. Linson appears on the Democratic, Libertarian and SAM (Serving America Movement) lines on the ballot.

The 52-year-old Philipstown resident grew up nearby, attending Wallkill public schools. The first in her family to graduate from college, she worked to pay her way through undergrad and law school, receiving an undergraduate degree with honors from Harvard University, and conducting legal studies at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee; Universitaet Heidelberg and Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin in Germany; and Oxford University in England.

A practicing attorney for more than two decades, she worked for international law firms for many years, and then opened her own practice here in Putnam County when her son was born. Her work includes transactional law for businesses, as well as providing cost-free legal services to local families and individuals in need, on matters including divorce and separation, child custody, juvenile crime, end of life care and estate planning, and home foreclosures.

She is currently Philipstown's Town Justice and Associate Justice for the village of Cold Spring

The single most pressing issue facing our community, and what I intend to do about it.

I’m running because lives depend on the outcome of this race. I stepped up for the justice’s seat in Philipstown because I couldn’t stay on the sidelines while so many Putnam families suffer the devastating effects of the opioid crisis. As soon as I took office, I took action, integrating treatment court philosophy and practice in my courtroom. I’m running for County Judge now because we are poised on a precipice in Putnam. If a judge takes the bench who has not had extensive first-hand experience implementing treatment court philosophy and practices and has not involved himself in the treatment community’s response, we risk the effectiveness of our Drug Treatment Court. I am the only candidate in this race who is closely involved with our local opioid response community. Treatment courts work. A defendant who goes through a traditional court experience on drug or alcohol charges is likely to reoffend 2/3 of the time—that’s almost always. For those who go through a drug treatment court environment, that figure is 1/3. Drug courts reduce crime. And, by breaking the cycle of re-offense, drug courts reduce the burden on our law enforcement and jails. Drug courts save taxpayer dollars as well, to the tune of about $6,700 per offender. If you incorporate victimization costs, the savings increases to nearly $12,000. I want to be County Judge so that I can save lives, reduce crime, and transform families and communities. I’m running to show my respect for law enforcement in action, not just in words. And I’m running to reduce the financial burden that drug related crime imposes on every Putnam family’s budget.

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

First, I’ve treated my campaign like what it is: a job interview. The term of the County Judge is ten years—people deserve to know before they vote, before they make the hire. I’ve worked hard to earn people’s votes by being accessible, answering questions, and explaining my qualifications. I invite people review my website and Facebook page, as well as the Facebook page of my opponent. The contrast is real.

I’ve provided resources and information that explain the role of the Putnam County Judge and how it impacts voters’ lives, especially the rehabilitative justice of drug treatment court. I want voters to understand the position, how my experience has prepared me well for it, and why it’s important for them to choose wisely. I’ve made available information about my term as a judge, my professional life, my training, and me as an individual and a community member. I have focused on the issues that matter for this race: relevant experience, knowledge of the law, judicial ethics and independence, judicial demeanor, and passion for service and the community.

I stand on my own and represent myself. I’m not being presented by party bosses. I am accessible and I answer voters’ questions directly. I have conducted my campaign in the non-partisan way that ethics rules require of judges, working with a dedicated multi-party core campaign team made up of a Democrat, a Republican, a Libertarian, a Conservative, as well as people with no party affiliation.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

In addition to spreading the word about the critical importance of judicial independence and rehabilitative justice, I have spoken often about my strict loyalty to the Constitution and attitude toward crime. I have been asked often whether I am tough on crime and my response is yes. To me, "tough on crime" means being unafraid to impose sanctions where warranted and, most importantly, being successful at reducing crime, using all the tools available to a judge.

Incarceration is only one of these. Others include, for example, mandated restitution, payment of fines, community service, participation in victim impact panels, evaluation and assessment, and therapy. I am committed to delivering equal and fair treatment to everyone who comes before me, regardless of race, origin, or beliefs. Justice for all.

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

I think it’s important for people to understand the role of a judge, and how my 23-year career as a private attorney and my time on the bench in Philipstown have prepared me for the position of County Judge.

A judge’s role is to be an impartial arbiter and facilitator, and to apply the law in a fair and equal manner. A judge is called on to interpret the law and explain it in readily understandable language. A judge writes about the law and her decisions, clearly and unambiguously.

These are the skills that I have perfected over my career as a private attorney, in practice ranging from transactional commercial law to criminal matters, child custody and divorce to end of life planning. I have practiced in areas of law relevant to each of the three courts that make up the County bench. And I have the impartiality and temperament required to run the County Court efficiently and fairly.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

When I ran for Town Justice, I talked with a gentleman who referred to his relative’s service in the Army during World War II. He told me, “When you’re on the bench, never forget that people have given their lives to ensure that our justice system and our system of government survive. You have a duty to honor those lives by living up to the trust shown to you by the people who elect you.” This resonated deeply with me. An opportunity to serve the public as a judge is a privilege. It is an opportunity to be accepted with humility and a deep sense of duty.

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

I am strictly loyal to the Constitution, the Rule of Law and the people of Putnam County. Anyone who looks at my campaign Facebook page can see how immensely hard I work, and how committed I am to judicial independence. This is part of who I am. As Putnam County Judge, I will apply those same ethics to serve the people of Putnam County. I also want voters to know that I am available to answer questions; the best way to reach me is via my website.

Are you running for office in Putnam County? Contact Lanning Taliaferro at lanning.taliaferro@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and posting campaign announcements on Patch.