Judge (continued from pg 1)
JUDGE
Continued from Page 1
tegrity. When I refer to “experience practicing law” I mean a real lawyer, not just someone who holds a law license. A person who has dealt with the legal problems of other people and carried the weight of those problems on their shoulders. Some might say “experience in the courtroom” is not that important. I beg to differ. In a courtroom the judge does not have time, when there is an objection, to say, “hold on I need to research this.” A judge has to be prepared to decide the issue quickly and have the knowledge and confidence to act quickly. A judge who can do this instills confidence in those observing that the judge is competent and will be fair. A judge needs to be in a position to understand the pressures and stress that are placed not only on the parties but witnesses, lawyers and jurors.
A judicial candidate also should have the highest integrity. This is the most important attribute of a judge. Without integrity the parties, lawyers and the public wonder what is motivating any decision the judge makes. In order for our system to work the public (including jurors, lawyers and defendants) must feel like the judge is fair and honest. When the lawyers, jurors, parties or even spectators suspect the judge is anything other than honest our system begins to breakdown.
Today our judicial elections are becoming more and more like races for a truly political office. You may think you want your judges to have a similar “political” philosophy to you or a candidate that you think will be friendly to business or the little man.
This is the wrong way to look at these candidates.
Everyone agrees that the job of a judge is simply to follow the law and constitution and let the law dictate the result in a particular
case. If a judge has integrity the judge will follow
the law even when the judge does not think the result is the best result. They will follow the law and hope the legislature will act to correct any flaws in the law. When judges are elected not because of their integrity, but because of the political leanings, we face the real possibility that the judge will decide what result “should be reached” and then try to find the law to support the result. A good judge will ignore personal political philosophy and simply follow the law to a result dictated by the law and nothing else.
After an election involving judicial elections anyone who looks at the election results will notice a significant difference in the number of votes cast in the judicial election and in the other races on the ballot.
When you go to vote be prepared to vote in the judicial elections. Before you do vote look into the background of the candidates, their education, their experience as a lawyer, their experience in court and their integrity. At the very least contact a lawyer and ask them, not how to vote, but to tell you about both candidates and then make your own decision of which candidate represents the kind of judge you would want
hearing your case.
