The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-09-25
Judge Healey Upholds State Probate Courts

Urging that probate judges be continued to be elected by the people Judge Patrick Healey last night warned against attempts to use the office as political foot ball" Judge Healey spoke at the combined Waterbury, Wolcott and Middlebury probate convention held at The Elton at which time he was renominated for the 5th consecu- tive time.
 The office of probate should not be a political football" he warned. Political sleight-of hand, political juggling of any kind, and any at- tempt to confuse the issue are espe- cially out of order when that office is concerned"
 Judge Healey was offered for nomination by Walter Jarvis and seconded by Atty Walter Monagan. His nomination was by acclama- tion He acted as host to the 50 delegates and 20 friends present at a dinner following the convention.
 Reaf1irming his belief in fixed salaries" for judges of probate the local jurist urged that these be established reasonable in amount with due consideration given to the nature, volume and importance of the work, and the features of tenure and security"
 My campaign slogan is just sim ply this: Ask anybody who has done business with the Probate Court during the past 8 years"
 Touching upon the duties of a probate judge, Judge Healey de- clared:
 No court transacts greater volume of business. No court touches upon the concerns of more people or more families No court makes more decisions, or enters more orders, decrees and judg- ments. No court has more discre- tionary power. No court handles matters of more intimate personal concern or of greater financial and material value.
 Tn 1945 alone, the Waterbury Probate Court held HOO hearings, appointed or approved 600 execu- tors, administrators, guardians, trustees and conserVatorS, adjudi- cated 800 accounts, and passed upon scores of adoptions and commit mentS. Succession and Inheritance Taxes were determined and paid into the State Treasury to the amount of $30000O.
 ITO handle this business, Con- necticut has developed its own sys- tenn of Probate Courts, probate methods, and probate procedure. The system is unique You can not find anything like it in any other State. Connecticut has been build ing this system for 300 years and it has stood the tests of time and ex- perience
 The official Report of the 1943 Judicial Study Commission paid high tribute to the Connecticut Pro- pate System and Probate Court Judges in words as follows:
 Well done. Serving beyond the call of duty. Neighborly, friendly, sympathetic, economical, efficient. Costs extremely small. Universally satisfactory. No popular demand for change"
 Citing what might be termed his credo of office Judge Healey de- clared:
 Because I am your Judge of Probate and have special knowledge and experience. recognize my special knowledge and experience. I recognize my special duty to CO., operate with the Legislature, it's Commissions, its Committees and every other proper agency in bring ing about every desirable and worth while reform.
 T believe that the present hu- man, informal, localized probate system is economical, efficient and satisfactory to the people of Con- necticut and that its essential fea- lures should be preserved. And be- lieve that any attempt to take away those advantages by setting up system of State or County or Cir cult courts will meet with strong determined and insurmountable op- position from the people of the State
 T believe that the Judge of Pro- should continue to be chosen by election. am opposed to their selection by any method whereby any Judge may retire into an ivory tower and become un- of or indifferent to the con- venience and satisfaction of the people he serves.
 T consider it necessary that pro-