William Goggins, the Republican Party’s pick to run for town justice in November, will hold the party line on Election Day after fending of Eileen Powers in a primary on Thursday night. READ
Tag: Town Justice
Town Justice candidates William C. Goggins (left) and William H. Price Jr.
TOWN JUSTICE
Four-year term, one open seat
Salary: $67,950
William C. Goggins
Hamlet: Mattituck
Occupation: Attorney
Party lines: Republican, Conservative and Independence
About him: Mr. Goggins, 53, is a 1978 Mattituck High School graduate and an Air Force veteran with degrees from the University of Massachusetts and Bridgeport Law School. He opened a private law practice in Mattituck more than 23 years ago.
His pitch: He believes he could create efficiencies, and therefore savings, within the Southold Town Justice Court. As an attorney practicing law in various courtrooms across Suffolk County, he says he’s noticed the court in Southold has not updated its administrative functions in more than 20 years. He pointed to the lack of a computer in the courtroom, the way defendants are walked past a jury and the lag time in arraigning defendants as changes he’d like to make.
In his words: “As an attorney, I see inefficiencies at the town court, which is causing a burden on our police resources and our town resources. I believe I can institute changes … to make [the court] function much better, by making it more efficient. Efficiency saves us all money as taxpayers.”
William H. Price Jr.
Hamlet: Greenport
Occupation: Incumbent Town Justice, attorney
Party lines: Democrat, Working Families
About him: Mr. Price, 62, is a Greenport native who attended Greenport Schools, Mount Hermon School, Boston University and Albany Law School. He opened a private law practice in Greenport in 1977 and served as Greenport’s village attorney from 1978 to 1979. First elected in 1980, he has served as a Southold Town Justice for nearly 32 years, having been re-elected to seven consecutive four-year terms. He also serves as a Drug Court Judge at no additional compensation. Additionally, he has served as a director of the Suffolk County Magistrates Association and is a former director of the NYS Magistrates Association.
His pitch: Mr. Price believes residents should re-elect him based on his record of serving with “integrity and independence” for more than three decades.
In his words: “As a Town Justice, I have had to make the difficult decisions concerning individuals’ liberty and property rights. I understand the implications of my decisions. I have presided over more trials than I can count. I have had to send people to jail and fined many people. I have had to decide not to send people to jail. My years of judicial experience benefit all of the people of the Town of Southold.”