Porter Kirkwood and his alleged 3,000 cases: let's have a trip to Delaware County Family Court and then do the math

A reader sent me an election campaign flyer of Porter Kirkwood, a judicial candidate for the Family Court seat in Delaware County, New York.

In that election campaign flyer, Porter Kirkwood claims that he has "handled" 3,000 cases in Family Court.

First, this claim is absolutely unverifiable - because Porter Kirkwood was and still is a social services attorney, his "Family Court cases" must be exclusively child neglect and abuse cases.

I encourage future voters to march into Delaware County Family Court at 3 Court Street, Delhi, NY 13753 across from the post office, and demand review of Porter Kirkwood's 3000 Family Court cases.

You will be denied that access because child neglect cases are sealed, so Porter Kirkwood can blow bubbles all over you and can tell you how many thousands of cases he allegedly "handled" in Family Court - it is absolutely unverifiable.

Moreover, I suggest for the readers to engage in a little math experiment to show that not only the number 3,000 is unverifiable - but it is likely false, as are many Porter Kirkwood's claims in his election campaign (I will continue to analyze Kirkwood's election campaign flyer, issue by issue).

So, this is the claim that Porter Kirkwood made in his flyer - once again:

Porter Kirkwood was admitted to practice law in 1994 after graduating from an elite private law school:

Upon information and belief, he worked for Delaware County Department of Social Services ever since he was first licensed in 1994, including at least 6 years under the "guidance" of Carl Becker as his boss and mentor.

So, Porter Kirkwood worked for Delaware County for 21 years as an attorney for social services.

Most of the time before Becker got on the bench in 2002, Becker litigated child abuse and neglect cases.

After Becker got on the bench, Amy Merklen litigated child abuse and neglect cases, with Porter Kirkwood handling only a small fraction of the cases.

As I stated above, his participation in cases is unverifiable, because Delaware County Family Court will not allow review of any child neglect or abuse cases by anybody who was not a party or attorney of record for a party in those cases, so he can just as well tell the public that he handled a million such cases - it will be equally unverifiable.

Yet, realistically speaking, let's do the math.

To be able to handle 3,000 cases in Family Court over the course of his career, Porter Kirkwood was supposed to be in court every other day to handle child neglect cases.  

That is simply not happening - not only Porter Kirkwood was not in court nearly every day, and there were times when I was in that same court every single day, and did not see him at all, but other attorneys were usually litigating child neglect cases, and my suspicion is - because Porter Kirkwood is not a good litigator.

I dare Porter Kirkwood's election campaign to present to voters his court calendars indicating that he, indeed handled 3,000 cases. Court calendars do not mention names, only file numbers, and are public.

I doubt Kirkwood can or will produce such calendars to the public.

Which brings me back to the 3,000 cases.

When such numbers are unverifiable, and the level of competence in participation in such cases is similarly unverifiable, such numbers should not be used in bold font, white on red, in an election campaign - because, without ability to verify these numbers, they very likely be fraudulent.