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CHESTERTOWN---The Post-Star reported a two-car accident which occurred Monday in Chestertown, Warren County.
They probably wouldn't have had they known who the driver of the car was that reportedly caused the accident by allegedly failing to stop at the stop sign and flashing red light at the notoriously dangerous intersection of Routes 8 and 9 in Chestertown.
It was none other that Margaret M. McDermott, daughter of Chester town justice James McDermott.
According to reports, she whizzed right on through the sign, which is just a short distance from her and judge daddy's residence. Alton E. Weidman Jr. who was operating his pickup truck eastbound on Route 8 couldn't stop in time to avoid her sailing on through the intersection.
The photo of the accident scene shows Judge Daddy looking dejectedly at the damaged car. Thankfully his daughter didn't kill or seriously injure anyone.
And how many fines has he issued to drivers for allegedly failing to stop at that intersection?
There's a history of this family apparently thinking that they're above the law because of who daddy is-or pretends to be.
Daddy's been known to imbibe a few at the local bar with a sheriff's investigator and then drive home while allegedly under the influence. There's been a few times he's been seen parked in front of fire hydrants---some fireman--- and he's a habitual violator of the V&T law section that prohibits parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk. So who's gonna ticket him and who's gonna adjudicate the ticket?
Mama McDermott, aka Ellen, was ticketed several years ago for illegally parking her van in a designated handicapped zone. She was mad as hell because she got ticketed but it was hard for her and the state police to argue with an eyewitness that had taken a picture of her violation and memorialized it. Of course the ticket was taken care of by another judge and the district attorney. Poof---make it go away.
And then there was son Ryan, arrested for drunk driving following an accident after leaving an under-aged drinking party hosted by the stepsons of the county coroner. That's the same coroner whose stepson was arrested and convicted of statutory rape for admitting to having sex with an underage girl when he was being interviewed by the state police to become a state trooper.
It's hard to respect officials who seem to have a problem instilling upon their children right from wrong, thinking that because of "who they are", they can do whatever they want and there won't be any consequences.
James McDermott has no place sitting on a bench sitting in judgment of others when his own house isn't clean. This is the joker that never filed his oath and bond in the county clerk's office but the town of Chester covered for him although by operation of law he had vacated the office. McDermott apparently thinks the laws are for other people, not for him and his family.
This is the judge whose court clerk has allegedly falsified court records and the town board covered that up too.
It's way past time for McDermott to hang up that black dress and turn over the gavel to someone taxpayers can respect and who will respect the law. Taxpayers deserve no less. 2-16-06
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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