Judge Of Probate Candidates Hold Voter Information Night (With Video)

Southeastern Connecticut Regional Judge of Probate candidates, Republican Eric Janney and Democrat Nicholas Kepple, held an informal, light-hearted, information session for voters at the Library Monday evening.

The night was typical of the campaigns the two have run—civil, community- and service-minded—with each candidate quick to praise his opponent. If you briefly glanced into the crowded community room you probably wouldn’t even know that the two men sitting at the table together, jovially discussing the role of a judge of probate, were candidates vying for the same seat.

“I flipped a coin and I won,” said was the reason he got to speak first.

“That’s the one you can win,” retorted.

Kepple and Janney spoke about their backgrounds, their qualifications and the challenges of a consolidated probate court.

Each candidate spoke of the importance their families played in teaching them the value of community service and each spoke of how those teachings made them dedicated to serving the communities they grew up in and love.

“My mother, father, and wife...shaped my view of the world and in particular my view of the importance of community and service,” Kepple said. “My whole adult life has prepared me to take on this position.”

Kepple grew up in Stonington, practices law in Stonington, and raised his family Stonington.

Janney, a proud product of the Groton Public Schools, grew up in Mystic, practices law in Mystic and lives in Stonington.

“I was blessed to grow up here,” Janney said. Speaking of his experience serving on the boards of some of the area’s community organizations such as the Mystic Chamber of Commerce, Groton Parks Foundation and Chelsea Groton Bank Foundation he said: “They offer an opportunity for us to participate in life in the community.”

Both Janney and Kepple have years of legal experience dealing with probate matters. 

Janney’s practice has focused on matters such as estate planning, guardianship review, termination of rights and emancipation of minors.

Kepple has also focused estate planning, guardianship and juvenile issues but credited his work outside of probate issues such as working as a town attorney, serving as a selectman and working with planning and zoning for preparing him to be a regional judge of probate.

“I’ve been on the other side,” Kepple, who became a lawyer in his 30s, said. “Great care needs to be taken to not let issues get out of hand.”

One of the issues that Kepple and Janney worry about is how to keep the neighborhood feel of the regional court. The court serves four towns, Stonington, Groton, Ledyard and North Stonington, but Groton serves as the physical base for the court.

“You still want the court to have that human touch and interconnectedness that families need at a difficult time,” Janney said.

He hopes, if elected, to have a formal evening once a week with staff hours so people would not need to take time off of work to go to the court and also mentioned possibly holding office hours at the libraries on Saturdays.

Kepple said he is committed to doing the job full-time at 40-hours a week, something the state doesn’t require and that he would spend time visiting the other communities served by the court.

He hopes to set up a website for the regional court and also to host forums on different issues such as estate planning specifically geared towards farmers on how to ensure the perseveration of farmland.

Throughout the night, the two praised each other’s qualifications and experience and as the evening winded down those who came to listen lingered asking questions and offering well wishes.

The special election for the regional judge of probate is Aug. 16, 2011.

Check into Patch for election news and results.