Nonpartisan candidates Partying for judge in Georgia?

[flaminbats]

Regardless of which primary one votes in, nearly everyone in Georgia will be voting for the same candidates on the nonpartisan part of the ballot. Two of these nonpartisan races are contested. And only one of these two races could result in a runoff...the Court of Appeals election to replace Frank Eldridge. In that race there are six candidates running. One of these so-called nonpartisan candidates, Mike Sheffield..agrees with the Christian Coalition on every issue. My favorite candidate in this race is Lee Elizabeth Tarte Wallace. She is the most moderate of these candidates running, and the most qualified IMHO.

http://www.wallaceforjudge.com/Pages/aboutleewallace.html

The most important nonpartisan election has one of the most partisan candidates running for it..Grant Brantley. Creating Loafing had this to say about the Brantley-Sears election...

Before the Georgia ruling, a vast majority of other state Supreme Courts had ruled that death by electric chair was cruel and unusual. In anticipation of a similar ruling here, the General Assembly passed legislation providing for death by lethal injection should the electric chair be found unconstitutional. And Sears voted with a 4-3 majority when the matter reached the Georgia court.

In a separate concurrence to the opinion, she noted that "the point must not be lost that the efficacy of Georgia's death penalty statute is not diluted one bit by today's opinion, and the punishment of death remains an available sentence under the law."

Sears says her judicial record is being distorted, and she's fighting back. She argues that people do not want a political judiciary, but a judiciary that is fair. She takes issue with being called an activist judge.

"An activist is just someone that rules in a manner that you don't want them to," Sears said. "It has also become, I believe, a code word for minority, or women, or liberal."

Brantley defends using the term to attack Sears, and defends his campaign. "Is all this campaigning demeaning to the office? Some people are very uncomfortable about it," he says. "But the people have been frozen out of the process, and it's time to let the sunshine in."

As part of letting the sunshine in, Brantley responded to a questionnaire sent to the candidates by the Christian Coalition. The questionnaire features short excerpts from five opinions by the U.S. Supreme Court on hot button issues: abortion, homosexual conduct, prayer in public schools, school vouchers and religion. Candidates are asked to check whether they agree with, for example, the majority opinion in a case upholding Roe v. Wade or the dissenting opinion. The Christian Coalition is planning to publish the responses in 500,000 voter guides, which it will distribute just before the primary.

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/cover2.html

[jmparks02]

1. I'm new to Georgia....

Just moved to the Atlanta area from South Carolina. In South Carolina, we don't have the opportunity elect judges.

I was reading the AJC this weekend, and they might as well take the non-partisan label off of these elections. The AJC basically was letting people know what judicial candidates were supported by the Republican Party and which were supported by the Democratic Party. Also, I have noticed that the radio spots basically put the judges on either end of the political spectrum. It's pretty obvious when you hear a radio spot for a judicial candidate against gay marriage, benefits for same sex partners, and against abortion rights which party they would be running under.

[flaminbats]

2. Creative Loafing endorses Debra Bernes for "nonpartisan" Appeals Court

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/cover7.html

How hard can it be to select a judge from a field that includes a religious zealot, a partisan pit bull who runs negative ads, and a nice mom from Cobb County who has authored or co-authored 400 appellate briefs? Not hard at all. Debra Bernes is our choice for the Georgia Appeals Court.

Bernes' background undoubtedly has prepared her to serve on the state's second-highest court. She earned the nickname "Tiny Avenger" while effectively handling appeals for the Cobb County district attorney's office, arguing 50 cases before higher courts. Her work helped uphold Georgia's stalking law and make DNA evidence admissible in criminal cases.

She later went into private practice handling criminal and civil cases.

The nonpartisan race was supposed to be decided this summer, when six candidates were seeking the position. But a ballot mistake led Howard Mead, who finished third in the July 20 election, to challenge the results.

http://www.bernesforcourtofappeals.com/

[MGKrebs]

3. Just to be clear- Leah Sears already won.

That race will not be on this ballot.

[Laelth]

4. I went and got a sample ballot today ...

and Wallace doesn't appear on it. The choices for the Court of Appeals are Debra Bernes, Howard Mead, and Mike Sheffield. Plus, there's a line for a write-in. Does a write-in have a chance to win this election?

:shrug:

-Laelth

(P.S. Do I have to stare at that elephant?)

[flaminbats]

5. there are no write-in candidates for the Court of Appeals

the following are all of the qualified write-in candidates in Georgia..

http://www.sos.state.ga.us/elections/write-in_candidates.PDF

Lee Wallace lost in the nonpartisan primary, so now Creative Loafing has endorsed Bernes.


P.S. it claims to be a nonpartisan elephant!

[Boredtodeath]

6. Support Howard Mead

Take two ballots and call us Nov. 3: A Barnes aide comes down with an expensive case of buyer's remorse

Howard Mead was strolling through the state Capitol the other day. He had an appointment with a photographer — part of his revived campaign for a seat on the state Court of Appeals. We still don't know when the new election ordered up by the state Supreme Court will be held.

When he's not campaigning or earning a paycheck, Mead often spends time passing on news articles that question the wisdom of electronic voting.

It is strange, because Mead was legal adviser to Gov. Roy Barnes, who in 2002 approved and budgeted the $54 million needed to buy the touch-screen machines, at the request of Secretary of State Cathy Cox.

Mead has a darn simple explanation for the contradiction. "We were wrong," he said. Mead now thinks the state should have held out for a system with a paper-ballot back-up. We're sure Cox will be glad to hear the news.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/insider/index.html (link may be changed as this is old)

[Laelth]

7. Frankly, I agree with him ...

on this issue, anyway. I like the optical-scan machines that let you connect an arrow with a black sharpie. They're very reliable and leave a definite paper trail. Not sure who advocated the electronic machines. I trust Cathy Cox's intentions. This may not have been her decision.

-Laelth

[Boredtodeath]

10. It most certainly WAS her decision

Cathy Cox went before the Georgia legislature in January 2001, just 2 months after the Florida debacle, with the single intention of instituting electronic voting. You can read her presentation to the General Assembly introducting SB213 here: http://www.sos.state.ga.us/pressrel/2000_election_report.htm

Reading it today, knowing what we know now, makes it clear the speech and presentation was written by Diebold.

[Laelth]

11. Hmm ...

Well, you may know more about it than I do. I don't know Cathy Cox that well, but the fact that she read a Diebold-prepared speech means little to me. I know Diebold is a major Bush contributor, and I know that she was the principal force behind getting us some kind of standardized voting system.

Perhaps the only way she could get the legislature to agree to fund new machines was for her to give some kick-back to the Republican party through Diebold. I.e., she traded our money for universal suffrage. Perhaps she thought that some new machines, even if they're not the best available, are better than the antiquated system we had.

Possible?

:shrug:

-Laelth


Edit:Laelth--corrected some grammar.

[MGKrebs]

13. One more piece of info FYI.

http://www.diebold.com/dieboldes/testimonials.htm

[flaminbats]

8. Now you've made me curious, does Howard Mead have a website?

B-)

I like to base my vote for judicial candidates on more than campaign ads..

[Boredtodeath]

9. That wasn't an ad

It was an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, not written by Howard Mead, but a reporter (note the link). Howard Mead learned first hand about electionic voting during the July 20th primary. That election was overturned by the State Supreme Court and put on the November ballot because of screwups by Diebold in the printing of his name on the absentee ballot.

From the AJC voter's guide:

Howard Mead / nonpartisan

Age: 44

Residence: Atlanta

Education: Graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, history; graduated from Harvard Law School.

Profession: Attorney; counsel to Govs. Zell Miller and Roy Barnes; former law clerk to Judges Thomas A. Clark and Alvin B. Rubin of the U.S. Court of Appeals; former professor of law and government.

Political experience: None

Personal: Married to Cynthia Mead, one son.

Priorities: 1. To look at each case on its individual merits. 2. To preserve an independent judiciary. 3. To make sure everyone who comes into court gets a full and fair review of their case.

E-mail: [e-mail]

Web site: http://www.georgiansformead.org

[flaminbats]

12. you mean Georgia has a landmark healthcare reform law?

Georgia does have tough DUI laws? Hmm, you can have nothing to drink and still get thrown in prison if your blood sugar is high!

Thanks for the website..