First up, the two contested judicial races. In the new Floyd Superior 3 ...
Attorneys battle to become judge of new Floyd County court, by Matt Thacker (News and Tribune).
Two New Albany attorneys are facing off to become the first judge of the newly created Floyd County Superior Court No. 3. The campaigns have focused on what type of experience is most important for a judge.
Republican Rick Fox, 53, boasts 21 years of experience in the courtroom and has represented various agencies at different levels of government. Democrat Maria Granger, 53, says she already has judicial experience as a Supreme Court Hearing Officer and taught Business Law at Indiana University Southeast.
Fox has accused Granger of not having enough jury trial experience.“I’ve tried criminal and civil jury trials as well as have had many cases in the Indiana Court of Appeals,” Fox said. “I think that distinguishes my record from (Granger’s) record.”
Granger said that she has tried about 10 cases before a jury, but also manages more than 600 cases per year as Hearing Officer.
Earlier today at Freedom of Speech, Granger repeated a statement that first drew attention here during last spring’s primary, and that Fox references above:
I am also the only candidate in this race who has fought crime for more than five years and prosecuted hundreds of cases before judges and juries.
Perhaps our resident legal minds can help make sense of this lingering oddity. What constitutes a case before a judge and jury, and how many has she really tried?
ELECTION Q & A 2008: Floyd Superior Court 3
Maria Granger for Judge (Superior III)
Rick Fox for Judge (Superior III)
The other contested judicial race is Superior 2, pitting Glenn Hancock (D) and Chris Lane (R).
ELECTION Q&A 2008: Floyd Superior Court 2
Glenn Hancock for Judge (Superior II)
Chris Lane for Judge (Superior II)
Susan Orth (D) is unopposed in Superior I: Susan Orth for Judge (Superior I).
Please post your thoughts, subject to the usual identification policy.
I don't (yet) have personal experience with either Fox or Granger, but the trial experience issue seems like a strained attempt to differentiate between two otherwise solid candidates.
ReplyDeleteTrial experience is useful, for sure, but it isn't necessarily indicative of the qualities that make a good judge. A Supreme Court hearing officer with some trial experience ought to be able to handle Floyd Superior 3 (and likewise, a 21-year veteran lawyer with the right temperament ought to be able to handle it, as well).
That said, one can "prosecute" a case without it resulting in a jury trial (it could settle, get dismissed, plea bargain, etc.). When she says "prosecuted hundreds of cases before judges and juries," she isn't saying that she prosecuted hundreds of cases before juries.
Thanks, Brandon. I've been confused by this since the primary.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, the answer to the question regarding trial experience depends upon how the question is being asked. It is possible for an attorney to handle many cases without appearing before a jury, because cases that actually make it to the jury trial stage these days tend to be the exception rather than the rule.
ReplyDeleteA lot of courtroom experience takes place outside the presence of a jury, either at hearings or at bench trials which are held before a judge only. If you want to know how many jury trials a lawyer has handled, you would have to ask that question very specifically.
Rick Fox has the real experience and is 100% more qualified to be Judge vs. Granger. I believe Granger to be a legal lighweight and puts politics before public service, unlike Rick Fox who is driven to this office out of a sincere desire to serve the public.
ReplyDeleteStan Robinson would have been the better choice for the democrats to have made but Granger secured the nomination based on machine politics and the question to ask is who will she serve if elected?
With Fox you get a judge who has no strings attached
Oh my goodness, Tim, please stop, I am laughing so hard at your last post that I might wet my pants. If you think that Mr. Fox is not a part of the Republican "machine" you are truly delusional. I mean come on, everyone who has anything to do with Floyd County politics knows that Rick is one of main players in the Republican Party and I do not mean that in a negative way at all. It's just that facts are facts.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Maria, she does have more experience on the bench than Rick and if and when she wins this race it will be because she has worked her heart out for this job. Not because I or anyone else on the Central Committee gave her some kind of leg up.
I'm not surprised that you are speaking out for Rick though. We all know that you flip sides whenever your candidate from the primary doesn't win. Hey, have you seen the wonderful letter of endorsement that Stan sent out for Maria. I wish we had more candidates like Stan and I wish him luck in whatever position he chooses to run for next.