CAZENOVIA — On Aug. 30, Bradley Moses, a candidate for Madison County Court Judge, responded to the recent drug-related allegations against him and remarked on the status of his candidacy.
Moses is the only candidate whose name will appear on the ballot for the judgeship in the Nov. 8 election. However, as of Aug. 19, local attorney and Cazenovia Associate Village Justice Rhonda Youngs has been running a write-in campaign for the position with the support of the Madison County Republican and Conservative Parties.
“In a clear rush to judgment, it is evident party leaders and those seeking their own political advantage are comfortable with ignoring the facts,” Moses said in a statement. “After threatening to harm me and my family, politicians and party leaders have embarked on a campaign of misinformation, mistruths and are defaming me in the public and media. The fact is a toxicology screen performed at the hospital showed no illegal drugs in my system. Judges need to be fair and impartial. Willingness to disregard facts, making rash judgments for political gain, and being controlled by political leaders is not what we need from our judges. I am on the ballot because of my qualifications and experience. None of that has changed and I still remain the most qualified to serve as county judge.”
Moses, who was sworn in as an assistant district attorney in Madison County in 2017, recently offered his resignation following an emergency response to his Nelson residence on July 30, 2022 — an incident that sheriff’s office investigators claim was connected to illegal drug use.
In a statement on his campaign website, bradmoses.com, Moses recounted that after returning home from a golf tournament on the evening of Saturday, July 30, he lost consciousness and was taken to a Syracuse emergency room, where, after several tests, it was determined that he had acute kidney failure caused by severe dehydration as a result of high alcohol consumption coupled with the hot weather.
Since the incident, Moses has acknowledged his “unhealthy relationship with alcohol” but has adamantly denied the presence of illegal drugs in his system.
In the wake of the allegation against Moses, the Madison County Republican and Conservative Parties rescinded their endorsements of his campaign and announced their support for a write-in effort to elect Youngs. On Aug. 29, Madison County Clerk Mike Keville, who also previously endorsed Moses, announced his endorsement of Youngs.
The judgeship is up for election following the elevation of former Madison County Judge Patrick J. O’Sullivan to the New York State Supreme Court. Madison County Judges preside over cases in county court (criminal matters), family court, and surrogate’s court.
