Settle Suffolk County's term-limit issue

It would be helpful for the voters of Suffolk County to know, before the 2013 elections get too much closer, whether District Attorney Thomas Spota can or can't run for re-election. So Spota's lawsuit, seeking clarity from the courts on the constitutionality of term limits for his office, makes sense.

Spota has won three terms -- in 2001, 2005 and 2009 -- the last two, unfortunately, without a major-party opponent. A 1993 county law, approved by voters, sets a term limit of 12 consecutive years for county officials, from legislators to county executive. Included in it were three officials -- district attorney, sheriff and clerk -- whose jobs are described in the state constitution.

So Spota has sued the county, claiming it did not have the power to limit the terms of those three officers. Sheriff Vincent DeMarco and County Clerk Judith Pascale join him as plaintiffs, though neither of them is in a third term and facing a decision soon.

The legislature acted at a time when term-limit fever was sweeping the country. This page has been skeptical of term limits, because we trust voters to limit terms, when it's necessary, through the power of the ballot. We also hope public officials will know enough to step off the stage when they've stayed too long.

But term limits are the law in Suffolk. Before Spota can decide whether to seek a fourth term, he has to know if they really apply to him. It's about time we found that out for sure.