The Real Ken Runion

At the March 3, 2009, Town Board meeting there was a rather lengthy discussion concerning a recommendation by the State 3rd Department Administrative Judge who oversees the Town and Village Courts in our region.  The Administrative Judge recommended that Guilderland add a 3rd Judge to its Court staff.  Warren Redlich and Mark Grimm opposed the additional Judge.  (Mark Grimm did vote to allow a bill to be introduced in the legislature to add a third Judge but stated he was opposed to an additional Judge)  It was explained that the need for a 3rd Judge is the result of the number of cases being handled (over 11,000 per year) and the complexity of the cases (criminal cases).

Warren Redlich and Mark Grimm suggested that the way to cut down on the number of cases was for the Town Board to formulate a policy instructing Guilderland police officers not to write tickets for certain “Driving While Ability Impaired” (DWAI) from alcohol offenses.  They also indicated that the District Attorney’s Office has a policy where they will not reduce an aggravated  “Driving While Intoxicated” (DWI) offense  to a lesser DWAI ticket.  An aggravated DWI occurs when there is more than .18 percent alcohol in the blood stream.  Their contention is that Guilderland police should be instructed not to write Aggravated DWI tickets.

The Democrat majority of the Town Board dismissed this notion as improper, shockingly inappropriate and illegal.