Judge Brian Rourke speaks to Liberty Rotary Club
The Honorable Brian Rourke speaks to Liberty Rotary about his experiences over his 12-13 years of service to the Town of Liberty Court. Judge Rourke tells us there were over 8,600 charges that came through the Liberty Town Court in 2012, which kept him and his staff of 5 clerks very busy.The town court is the lowest court in the system and deals in four types of issues: vehicle and traffic, code violation, civil cases(Less than $3,000) and criminal cases. Liberty Town Court is the busiest in the county, particularly since the merger of the village and town court. The court collected $775,000 in fees in 2011, of which 42% stays with the town. 55% of the income goes to the state.
There are some concerns about the Governor changing the current process of plea bargaining as this would send a larger percentage of the income to the state.
Common cases involve DWI, controlled substances(particularly prescription drugs), assault in the third degree, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, burglary, larceny, and endangering the welfare of a child. Judge Rourke believes that the poor economy and poverty are fueling a rise in crime, particularly among the youth.
Judge Rouke finished his comments by telling us that the best part of his job is that he helps people resolve conflicts and occasionally changes the course of a young person. The worst part of the job is the arraignments in the middle of the night and the poor attitudes of some of the people he has before him.