Poles running unopposed for Washington magistrate

WASHINGTON — The Town of Washington recently elected to reduce the town court to one magistrate after having been used to having two magistrates for many years. 

The retirement of Betsy Shequine and the resignation of Jeff Feigelson, coming at a time over the past few years when the workload has been somewhat reduced, the board unanimously agreed to go to just one judge. Shequine counseled at the time that if the court went to only one justice, it should be a lawyer. 

Carol Poles, who is running for the position of Town of Washington magistrate, is a lawyer, and one with experience in the field and in different facets of the law. She is also a resident of the area. 

Although she is running on the Republican ticket, she said that she votes with her conscience and not with the party. She is allowed to practice law in New York state and the United States District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of New York. A trial attorney, she has been practicing for more than 30 years.

Poles is also a member of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, New York Sate Medical Malpractice Defense Bar, New York State Bar Association, the Albany Bar Association and the Dutchess County bar Association. Locally, she is on the board of trustees at Lyall Community Church and serves on the board of ethics for the Town of Washington. 

She and her husband and college-aged son are involved members of the community. Animal lovers, they have a puppy and a cat. The family also loves to garden. In fact, you may know husband George from Forrest Green Landscaping. He is also a pharmaceutical compliance attorney. The family has been in Dutchess County for over 18 years, a move they are very contented to have made, although Poles, originally from Georgia, does admit that she misses being near the ocean.

Poles has twice served as assistant attorney general for New York State from 1997-2000, where much of her work was as senior trial counsel, defending claims against the state including medical malpractice, wrongful death, and general liability, among others. She tried many actions before the Court of Claims and jury trials in State Supreme Court.

As assistant attorney general of Brooklyn from 1991-1996, Poles has a successful record of prosecuting major felony and persistent violent offenders including homicides, involuntary manslaughter, gang violence, armed robberies and many other crimes.