Questions for judicial candidates

Yates Co. SCOPE will be holding a judicial candidates forum on October 3 in Penn Yan.

Judicial candidates will often try to avoid answering questions citing the need to be impartial on issues that may come before their court.

This is bullshit.

I have had requests for endorsements from both Republican and Democrat candidates running in state judicial races. Nothing prevents them from answering questions.  If a judicial candidate refuses to give you an answer it is probably because they think you won’t like what they would give.

In order to cut through their obfuscation tactics and figure out if they support gun rights or not here are some suggested questions for judicial candidates:

  • Do you currently own any firearms? If yes, for what reason?
  • Are you now, or have you ever been, licensed to carry concealed firearms either in New York or any other jurisdiction? If yes, what jurisdictions?
  • Are you now or have you ever been a member of a local gun club?
  • Of the justices currently serving on the U.S. Supreme Court, whose judicial philosophy most closely reflects your own?
  • Do you believe the words and meaning of the Constitution should be interpreted in the context of present culture or as closely to the intent of the original authors as possible?
  • Have you ever issued a ruling in any case relating to the ownership, use or possession of firearms? If yes, which cases?
  • Has your campaign been endorsed by any independent special interest organization?