We often take for granted all the talent we have residing and working right here in Sullivan County, case in point, Liberty Town Judge Harold Bauman.
Bauman was recently elected Second Vice President of the prestigious New York State Magistrates Association, an organization comprised of approximately 3000 town and village justices.
The popular judge returned to the bench a few weeks ago after recuperating from open heart surgery. During a routine physical it was discovered that Bauman had severe blockages and needed immediate surgery.
Bauman, grateful to be back at work and dispensing justice, told me he was elated to be elected to the esteemed Magistrates Association’s position.
In explaining the work of the association, Bauman said, “we are dedicated to developing educational programs for member judges. We also propose legislation to make the law more accessible and understandable.”
Bauman said the primary goals of the organization was to “assure the administration of justice for all who appear in New York courts, and to protect the rights of both victims and defendants of crime.”
Way before practicing law and becoming a Judge in the Town and Village of Liberty, Bauman made his mark with Grumman Engineering and fulfilled a dream working on the Lunar Module program. He was involved with Apollo 11 and Neil Armstrong’s first lunar landing, followed by the ill fated flight of Apollo 13 and the breathtaking rescue mission. Bauman attended Law School at night after working on spacecraft during the day.
In 1973 he came to Liberty to practice law and partnered with Steve Lungen who later left to become district attorney
Last year legislation was signed into law named after Bauman revolving around a physical attack during a court proceeding.
Bauman discovered that the Penal Law elevated the assault statutes to a felony when an assault was committed on a police officer, peace officer, EMT, fireman, bus driver and conductor but did not raise the status of a judge or prosecutor to that of a bus driver.
Judges are on the front line in defending the public from crime, yet they were ignored by the legislature. Bauman shocked that the law did not elevate an assault against a prosecutor or justice, decided to go directly to our local elected state officials to change the law.
In walked Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther who penned “Bauman’s Law” making it a felony to assault a judge. State Senator John Bonacic led the charge through the senate. The bill passed both houses, and Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it into law.
Judge Bauman is a former President of the Sullivan County Bar Association, and currently also acts as a coordinator between the Magistrates Association and the New York State Bar Association, where he is a member of the Judicial Section and an alternate to the House of Delegates.
I am confident Bauman will utilize his position on the Magistrates Association to make certain the interests and judicial concerns of Sullivan County are known to legislators as well as magistrates across the State.