Ulster County will select a new District Attorney on Nov. 7. This year Democrat and Working Family parties have a highly qualified candidate in Emmanuel “Manny” Nneji. Here is why it matters.

Equal justice for all is a promise to everyone. Keeping that promise in our criminal law depends on wise and conscientious voters, law makers, administrators, judges and juries. When laws are broken the offense is against immediate victims, but also against all of us. That is why we elect the DA. Each DA is the lawyer for all of us whenever a DA attorney goes to court. We need a DA with experience and skill arguing tough cases leading an office of non-political assistant DA’s, and committed to equal justice for victims, witnesses, defendants and the public.

Manny Nneji has fit that job description admirably for 32 years. He came to Ulster County from Nigeria; worked his way through SUNY New Paltz and law school in Buffalo. In 1990 Ulster’s Republican DA of that day eagerly hired him as an assistant DA. He soon was assigned major prosecutions for murder, violent crimes, white-collar crimes, fraud and drugs. By 2007, he was recruited as a New York Assistant Attorney General under a Democrat AG. When he left that post in 2012, a third Republican DA recruited him back to Ulster County.

In 2019, state law made big changes in county DA procedures. The departing Ulster DA, like many others, failed to adapt before the deadline. Facing higher workloads, some assistant DA’s quit, leaving a mess for the new Democratic DA, David Clegg. Manny Nneji was a key player in catching up. Ulster is now one of the counties best managing the changes and Manny became the Chief Assistant DA.

True to form, in this first run for office, Manny Nneji maintains a heavy workload of court cases. Politicking comes second. You can learn more about him on his website. On Nov. 7, Ulster voters can pick this outstanding people’s attorney for the next four years.

Bob Gelbach

Saugerties