Chautauqua County Family Court Judge candidates Sally Jaroszynski (D-Falconer) and Michael Sullivan (R-Fredonia)

JAMESTOWN – Two regional attorneys are pointing the finger at a Jamestown attorney for allegedly influencing the rating of a Chautauqua County Family Court judge candidate by the Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission.

Frewburg Attorney Sherry Bjork and Buffalo attorney Margaret Murphey recently contacted the Jamestown Post-Journal with evidence she claimed proves Jamestown attorney Ken Lasker tainted Sally Jaroszynski’s campaign and worked to influence the commission’s not-qualified rating.

Jaroszynski is a Democrat from Falconer who is running against Fredonia Attorney Michael Sullivan for the Family Court Judge seat.

Murphey – who is speaking on behalf of Jaroszynski – and Bjork reportedly provided the Post-Journal with evidence that shows Lasker was working to keep Jaroszynski from winning the race. However, Lasker’s response is that he recused himself from the committee that handed out the ratings, and as a result he played no role in what the final ratings were.

Jaroszynski received a not-qualified rating from the commission while Sullivan recived a highly qualified rating. Just two years earlier both candidates received highly qualified ratings from the commission.

Jaroszynski currently serves as justice for the Ellicott Town Court. She also served as one of the two Ellicott Town Justices between 2011 and 2015, when former court clerk Jennifer Piazza was found to have taken more than $34,000 in cash.

An audit from the office of State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, released in 2015, stated that both town justices “did not segregate the duties of the full-time Court clerk, who controlled all phases of the Court’s cash collection, recording and reporting process with minimal oversight. As a result, the full-time Court clerk was able to manipulate Court records and admitted to embezzling funds. Neither the Justices nor the Court clerks performed monthly accountabilities, and the Board did not consistently conduct, or retain anyone to conduct, the required annual audit of the Justices’ records.”

The current race for Family Court Judge comes after Judith Claire retired from the bench in June.

In 2014 Jaroszynski unsuccessfully ran for the newly created second family court judge seat, losing to judge Jeffrey Piazza in the 2014 November election. Sullivan also lost to Piazza that same year in the Republican primary.

Michael Sullivan

MAYVILLE – Fredonia area attorney Michael Sullivan has won the Republican primary for Chautauqua County Family Court Judge.

According to the Chautauqua County Board of Elections, Sullivan brought in nearly 1,355 votes, compared to the 958 votes received by the other candidate, Sherry Bjork of Frewsburg.

Republican voter turnout was about 10 percent of the total number of registered party members in Chautauqua County.

Sullivan was also the endorsed candidate by the Chautauqua County Republican Committee. He will square off against Democrat Sally Jaroszynski in the Nov. 8 election.

In the Reform party primary, Jarosyznski was the winner of Sullivan.

The race for Chautauqua County Family Court Judge is a special election, due to the recent retirement of  judge Judith Claire.

Sherry Bjork (left) and Michael Sullivan

MAYVILLE – Tuesday is primary day for local offices in New York State, and while members of the Democratic party won’t have any reason to go to the polls here in Chautauqua County, Republicans and two dozen Reform Party members will.

A Republican primary is taking place between Sherry Bjork and Michael Sullivan for the office of Chautauqua County Family Court Judge.  The winner of the primary will have their name appear on the Republican line of the ballot in the November General Election.  According to the Chautauqua County Board of Elections, there are 24,753 registered Republicans in the county who are eligible to vote in the primary.

In addition, there are also 24 Reform Party members who will be able to choose either Sally Jaroszynski or Michael Sullivan to be their candidate in the general election.  The Reform Party also will have an Opportunity-to-Ballot for NY State Senate and Assembly.

Anyone voting in the primary tomorrow will also be able to write-in the name of any candidate they wish to support who’s name does not appear on the primary ballot.

All County Poll Sites will be open Noon to 9 p.m. on Tuesday.

Sally Jaroszynski

MAYVILLE – The Democratic Nominee for Chautauqua County Family Court Judge has received an unfavorable rating for a local judicial commission – despite the fact that she received a favorable rating just two years earlier.

The Jamestown Post-Journal is reporting today that the Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission has given Family Court Judge candidate Sally Jaroszynski an unqualified rating.  In 2014, when Jaroszynski ran for a newly created family court seat, she received a qualified rating.

The ratings from the commission are only given upon request from a candidate. When given a rating, the commission has the option of rating a candidate as highly qualified, qualified or not qualified.

FAILED TO DETECT EMBEZZLEMENT BY FORMER COURT CLERK

Jaroszynski is a local attorney who’s practiced law in family court for 25 years and also currently serves as justice for the Ellicott Town Court. She also served as one of the two Ellicott Town Justices between 2011 and 2015, when former court clerk Jennifer Piazza was found to have taken more than $34,000 in cash.

An audit from the office of State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, released in 2015, stated that both town justices “did not segregate the duties of the full-time Court clerk, who controlled all phases of the Court’s cash collection, recording and reporting process with minimal oversight. As a result, the full-time Court clerk was able to manipulate Court records and admitted to embezzling funds. Neither the Justices nor the Court clerks performed monthly accountabilities, and the Board did not consistently conduct, or retain anyone to conduct, the required annual audit of the Justices’ records.”

It’s not known if the audit from the state comptroller’s office played a role in the commission’s unqualified rating.

Jaroszynki is running against Fredonia area attorney Michael Sullivan and Sherry Bjork – who will square off in a Republican party primary next week.

The current race for Family Court Judge comes after Judith Claire retired from the bench in June.

In 2014 Jaroszynski unsuccessfully ran for the newly created second family court judge seat, losing to judge Jeffrey Piazza in the 2014 November election.