As she nears completion of her current six-year term as judge in Hempstead District Court, Judge Sharon Gianelli said she is running for re-election to the bench because she enjoys what she’s doing.
“I absolutely do. It would be a tough job to do if you didn’t love it,” said Gianelli, a New Hyde Park resident. “When I think about everything I did before this, it culminates in this.”
Gianelli was thinking of the law when she completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in social work at Syracuse University. She was thinking about helping people and became a social worker for two years, working with homeless families.
“I always wanted to be in some sort of a helping profession,” Gianelli said.
Gianelli said she thought about becoming a psychiatrist, wanting to do something to help people on a daily basis. But she said she also wanted to be a in a position where she could exercise some control over what happened, so she decided to become a lawyer.
After finishing law school at Brooklyn Law School and passing the bar exam, Gianelli became a prosecuting attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office for five years, After that, she prosecuted attorneys at the New York State Grievance Committee for the next five years.
Gianelli was initially appointed to her position on the bench in 2005, replacing Steve Jaeger, who now works in the county clerk’s office. She subsequently ran for the position on the Democratic ticket in the 2005 election and began her current term in 2006.
She said she enjoys the range of cases she deals with every day, and the variety of people who come before her in court.
“A whole spectrum of people come before me every day, with a variety of crimes,” Gianelli said, adding that she finds it a satisfying experience “knowing the law and treating each case independently and fairly.”
She said she feels that she handles her case load well and has established a solid record.
Asked why she thinks she should be re-elected, she said, “I think I have a pretty good record on the bench. I believe I have a good knowledge of the law. I believe I’m independent and fair and reasonable.”
She takes time to do community service apart from her responsibilities in district court, speaking at schools and doing work with Island Harvest.
In her free time, Gianelli said she also enjoys traveling and attending concerts and plays.
