As elected officials start getting sworn in and taking over their respective offices, judges in the 5th Judicial District of the State Supreme Court are thankful an old unwritten gentlemen's agreement held up, allowing the smaller counties to hold a seat. Our Brian Dwyer takes a look at the impact of this agreement and how it will help counties like Jefferson.

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WATERTOWN, N.Y. -- Wearing his father's old robe, the newest member of the New York State Supreme Court, Justice James McClusky, took the oath of office. He's one of several newcomers to the bench and he's promising to do everything he can to hit the ground running.

"My goal is to know enough about the cases to participate in the discussion of them with the attorneys to see where they're going to go or if they're going to be settled or need to set up as a trial," McClusky said.

Having a Supreme Court Justice is nothing new to Jefferson County. There's always been a sort of understanding that the smaller counties of the 5th Judicial District would be represented.

But this past election, things were different. Many said Onondaga County was looking to break the agreement and gain as many seats as possible. It took a huge effort from Jefferson County to keep its seat.

"I think everybody agrees the best justice is dispensed closest to home," Jefferson County Republican Chairman Don Coon said. "The idea that people in Jefferson County would have to drive to Syracuse to go to the Supreme Court didn't set well with us."

"The main work was showing that there's a candidate that's a viable candidate that the voters would trust and elect," McClusky added. "There's a group in Syracuse who believed that the only ones who could win this were in Syracuse."

And the work obviously paid off with McClusky's and others like Lewis County Judge Charles Merrell's swearing in. Local folks can stay local for cases and local judges can really impact local issues.

"The law is the law wherever you're applying it, but there's issues that come before the court system were we would have to apply the law to those issues that are different in each of the counties," McClusky added.

And for McClusky to get off to that quick start, he'll need to catch up on some 250 plus cases.
He'll get started Tuesday.

McClusky says it's also nice to come in with several other familiar first time justices and getting learning from each other as they make the transition.