What’s in a name? $174,532 court clerk job is

The further down a voter goes on the election ballot, the less likely he or she is to know anything about either the office or the candidates seeking it.

And that is a very good thing for hack politicians trying to sneak a fast one past the electorate.

Which brings us to the Sept. 3 Democrat primary for clerk of courts in Norfolk County, about as obscure an elective office as you could ever find.

There are two candidates, both from Milton.

This fight is like a modern version of the old game show, “To Tell the Truth,” where contestants tried to impersonate real people. The celebrity panel had to decide which of the three contestants was in fact the person they claimed to be.

In the race for Norfolk clerk of courts, the answer is neither. When the host says, “Will the real Norfolk County clerk of courts stand up,” both candidates would have remained seated, despite what they’re trying to put across otherwise on the ballot.

The current clerk is Walter F. Timilty Jr. – at least that’s the name on his birth certificate. He’s 80 years old. In his first campaign, in 2000, he identified himself on the ballot as Walter F. Timilty Sr. Ditto, in 2006. More recently, in 2012 and 2018, the hack formerly known as Walter Timilty Sr. has taken to running as Walter F. Timilty Jr.

Walter Timilty Jr./Sr. is now retiring, and two candidates are vying to succeed him. The top name on the ballot is Robert Jubinville of Milton. Under the candidate’s name he is permitted to describe his public affiliations in up to eight words.

Jubinville lists himself as “Present Clerk Magistrate.”

Which he is – a clerk magistrate, in the district court system, in Framingham. But Jubinville is not the clerk of courts, Norfolk County. He is not the incumbent.

It’s confusing, even more so because the appointed job Jubinville already has, for life, pays $174,532 a year.

That $174,532 is exactly the same salary that Clerk Magistrate Jubinville will get if he’s elected clerk of courts. And unlike his current position, he’d have to run for reelection in 2030, but maybe that’s not a factor, considering that Jubinville is already 78 years old.

The candidate running against Jubinville is… Walter F. Timilty, also of Milton.

This Walter F. Timilty happens to be the son of Walter F. Timilty Jr. or Sr., depending on the year. On his birth certificate from 1969, this younger guy was named “Walter F. Timilty III.”

This “Walter F. Timilty” is a current member of the state Senate, and used to be a state rep. Walter F. Timilty III has been running for 25 years as “Walter F. Timilty Jr.”

But now that he’s trying to succeed his father, he’s become just plain Walter F. Timilty.

And he doesn’t even list on the ballot that he’s a present member of the Massachusetts State Senate.

It’s almost like he’s trying to confuse the voters into thinking they’re still voting for his father.

I called Sen. Walter F. Timilty III, er, Walter F. Timilty Jr., er Walter F. Timilty at his State House office Monday to inquire about all his different names and why he won’t acknowledge on the ballot that he holds public office. He did not return my call.

You don’t have to be a lawyer, which Jubinville is, to be a county clerk of courts. But it does help to have some rudimentary knowledge of how the courts function.

Walter Timilty, the candidate on Sept. 3, graduated from Southern New England Law School in 1995. According to records maintained by the SJC clerk for Suffolk County, Walter F. Timilty III (for that is indeed his real name) began trying to pass the bar exam to become an officer of the court.

In 1995, Timilty failed the bar exam.

He failed again in 1996 – twice!

Timilty took the bar exam again in 1997, and failed.

In 1998 he ran for the Legislature – no tests required to be a hack at the State House. He was elected, and hasn’t raised his snout from the public trough since.

But in 2000 he tried again to pass the bar – and failed a fifth time.

Timilty gave it one final try in 2001. No go, again.

In other words, Walter Timilty III has failed the bar exam six times — more than JFK Jr., Hillary Clinton and Deval Patrick, combined.

You know, there aren’t going to be many more races like this one. Consider this the ghost of hackeramas past. The Timiltys are one of local politics’ original K-Mart Kennedys – dime-store dynasties aping the Kennedys.

These clans all started in the city, and now the few still grifting are reduced to running in obscure county fights. County jobs are the most they can aspire to – the Timiltys, the Creedons, the Hennigans etc. Even the Kennedys can’t win statewide in Massachusetts anymore.

The Timiltys have been payroll patriots for more than a century. Joe Timilty was a Boston police commissioner who stashed $300,000 in cash payoffs in his bank safe-deposit box during World War II.

His nephew, Jailbird Joe Timilty, ran for mayor three times before he was lugged for bank fraud. (BOP#: 19400-038.)

Jubinville has battled multiple Timiltys over the years. He ran twice against Jailbird Joe’s daughter Kelly for governor’s councilor and lost. He defeated one Bart Timilty to win the job after Kelly died in 2012.

And now this latest Timilty is giving up his lackluster 25-year legislative career to try to slide into his old man’s no-heavy-lifting sinecure. This fight is all-hack, all the time.

Who will win? Ultimately, who cares, except for laughs. Again, think of it as a modern To Tell the Truth game show.

When the host says, “Will the real clerk of courts in Norfolk County stand up?” nothing happens.

Which is why both of them want the job. Nothing happens. And you get paid $174,532 a year.

It’s the hackerama.