Western Queens's 37th Assembly District Race: James Magee Profile

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — Voters in New York City's 37th Assembly district, which covers parts of Long Island City, Sunnyside, Maspeth, Ridgewood and Fresh Pond will see four names on their ballots when they vote in the June 28 primary election.

One of those names will be James "Jim" Magee, an attorney who is among the four Democrats vying for the open seat. (Incumbent member Cathy Nolan is retiring after nearly 40 years in the Assembly.)

Early voting runs from June 18-26. (Find your polling sites here.)

Patch reached out to all candidates in the election to create these profiles, asking for their positions on issues like affordable housing and public safety, and giving them the chance to describe their records in detail. Magee's responses are below.

Name

Jim Magee

Campaign website

https://magee4queens.com

NYC neighborhood of residence

Sunnyside

Office sought

State Assembly

District, if applicable

37th

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

Juris Doctor

Occupation

Attorney

Family

Elisabeth, 39, my wife
Julia, 4, my daughter
Clare, 1, my daughter

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My wife is an attorney for the NYS AG

Age

41

Previous public office, appointive or elective

I was an assistant district attorney

Why are you seeking this office?

I think that the Democratic Party and the government in general have to recognize the dangers that the wealth disparity and climate change pose.

The Democratic majority in Albany seem reluctant to tax the rich and support labor unions.

The criminal justice reforms of 2019 have wreaked havoc in the courthouses and are largely responsible for the spike in crime. I believe that they were written by academics who did not appreciate the lengths that the District Attorneys and Judges downstate had gone to in order to reduce incarceration and provide mental health and addiction treatment. It has been a disaster and is a political liability for the Democrats.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

crime

Restore judicial discretion over bail before reactionaries add an arbitrary “dangerousness” standard to the criteria which will be tantamount to remand in most jurisdictions.

Restore the practical discovery rules so that crimes can be prosecuted and those suffering from mental illness and addiction can receive the help that they need.

How would you address ongoing concerns about public safety in New York City?

Same answer as the previous inquiry. I would also greatly increase funding for mental health and addiction treatment and think that there is broad support for those initiatives.

Do you think the NYPD's response to the recent surge in crime will affect efforts at police reform and, if so, how?

I work as a defense attorney in criminal court, and, to be honest, I haven’t seen much of a change in police behavior since crime has spiked. I know that the Mayor is re-mobilizing plain clothes units. And I support that.

But the difference in police behavior that I noticed in my neighborhood and at the courthouse happened between 2019 and 2020. This was for a multitude of reasons. The civilian protests and political rhetoric against police agencies in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, the criminal defense bar gaining access to an officer’s civilian complaint record, Officer Pantaleo’s (the officer whose chokehold resulted in the death of Eric Garner) firing, proposals to end qualified immunity and the prevalence of cellular phone video were all major contributors. They also led to a wave of retirements which, because of budget cuts caused the Department to be shorter staffed than usual.

I have noticed that officers are less likely to take action since, which is not always a bad thing since de-escalation should be the goal.

What is one policy you would support to make housing more affordable in New York City?

I do not understand why the City cannot set benchmarks for affordable housing. If a studio apartment is more than $1500 a month, that is not affordable.

I would set limits to the rent that developers could charge that are not tied to salary in order for those developers to qualify for affordable housing credits.

Should officials do more to encourage New Yorkers to return to work in person? If so, how? If not, why not?

No. Every business is different. If it is necessary for an employee to work in person the employer and the employee should be free to work that out. Having the government interfere would not only add a layer of bureaucracy to what is already a case specific situation, it invites the creation of a lobbying effort for who benefits from each n person work.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I’m married with children. I own my own business. I have seen in the courthouse the detrimental effect that the criminal justice reforms have had on crime and on defendants suffering from mental illness and addiction.

In the decade before the reforms incarceration statewide was down 20 percent and crime continued to drop. Crime only spiked since those reforms. I’m the only candidate who opposed those laws and who does oppose them. And I am the only one who would know because I am the only practicing criminal attorney.

I am also the only candidate who believes that the wealth disparity is the primary source of the State’s economic problems and who has proposed a progressive tax code and increased inheritance tax.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Public transportation. Queens has repeatedly been treated as an afterthought every time that a major transportation project has broken ground.

The 7 train has been under repair since I was in high school 25 years ago.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As a litigator, I am constantly lobbying my clients and my opponents to find a solution that will work for everyone so that we can avoid a trial where someone gets hurt.

As a trial attorney, I see the issues in order of importance and am able to effectively communicate them to an audience.

Running a neighborhood general practice law office, I am keenly aware of the issues that face this community and have often provided my services pro bono.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Kindness never hurts.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I think that if the Democratic Party does not prove that in can govern responsibly on crime we could lose our majorities in this state regardless of the voter registration advantage. And if that happens, all of our goals regarding green energy, affordable health care, affordable housing, higher wages, responsible gun control and myriad of other common sense proposals will not only get tossed aside, but will erode.