Veronica Gorman is a Republican nominee for Broome County family court judge. Gorman has served as second assistant district attorney specializing in the prosecution of all sexual offense crimes in Cortland County and as liaison to the Cortland County Multidisciplinary Team. Gorman has also served as senior assistant district attorney in Broome County and as liaison to the Broome County Child Advocacy Center’s multidisciplinary team. Gorman has also opened her own law firm, served as Town of Union Judge, and has taught as an adjunct professor at SUNY Broome.

1. What motivated you to run for Broome County Family Court judge?

“My entire legal career has been focused on protecting children and helping them navigate the legal system. I spent nearly a decade as a prosecutor that mainly focused on prosecuting sexual assaults and crimes against children. I was assigned to the Child Advocacy Center’s multidisciplinary team that met weekly to discuss pending cases. The team was comprised of several shareholders — law enforcement, child protective services, mental health treatment providers, etc. During my time in the [district attorney’s (DA)] office I became forensically trained to speak to children about trauma. When I left the DA’s office in December of 2015, I opened my own law firm, which I still maintain today. Having a desire to continue representing children, I became certified by the [State of New York Supreme Court], Appellate Division, Third [Judicial] Department to represent children in both supreme and family courts in Broome and surrounding counties. Additionally, I represented adults in [Broome County] Family Court and practiced criminal defense at both the federal and state level. In 2016, I was appointed to the Town of Union as a judge. The following year I ran unopposed for a four-year term. During my time on the bench, I personally presided over 26,000 cases, both criminal and civil. I developed the reputation of fair and balanced decision and a favorable judicial temperament. Running for Family Court perfectly melds all of my previous experiences together and allows me to continue helping children in such a critical way.”

2. What challenges do you feel will be present in family court amid the COVID-19 pandemic and how do you plan to confront them?

“COVID-19 presented a learning curve for all practitioners in Family Court. Initially, we struggled mid-2020 to find an appropriate way to conduct virtual hearings. Initially this was done via Zoom, but we quickly moved to Microsoft Teams. While virtual appearances allowed attorneys to be able to schedule more cases in a given day, the formality of the court process decreased as people appeared via shaky cell phone images with horrible internet service, sometimes through no fault of their own. Additionally, some litigants saw COVID-19 as the perfect excuse to completely disregard existing court orders regarding custody and visitation matters if they saw an opportunity to get a tactical advantage in court or more time with their child. Moving forward, we will continue to address issues in family court as to whether or not joint custodians have to agree to vaccinate their children, what happens if there is another shutdown and how to craft an order for the potential return to in-person operations for many businesses.

My strategy for addressing these matters combines a common-sense approach and looking at each case individually. There are no cookie cutter solutions in family court and when you are making decisions that fundamentally dictate how children are raised, it is important to take the time to listen to litigants concerns fully and not rush to make a rash decision.”

3. What differentiates you from the other candidates running for this position?

“I am the only candidate who has served in every capacity of the justice system. I have been an elected judge. I have served my community as a prosecutor and defense attorney at both the state and federal levels. I have represented litigants in [Broome County] Family Court. I have been an attorney for the child. It is this well-rounded experience in every role in the court system that led the Broome County Bar Association to deem me highly qualified.”

4. Why should students vote for you?

“Students should vote for me because experience matters in [Broome County] Family Court. I could not imagine being a judge in a court setting I had never represented anyone in. To walk a person out of a courtroom in Family Court and having to explain an unfavorable result and calm their fears or their tempers. Likewise, I could not imagine voting for a candidate who had never served in a judicial capacity, as family court is a ten-year term and not the place for on-the-job training. Most importantly, I am the candidate who has devoted her entire legal career to helping kids understand the court system on all sides — and an ability to communicate with children on a fundamental level is not something that you can pick up as you go. You either have it or you don’t, but to be effective in family court, you must have it.”