I am running for district court judge of Orange and Chatham Counties against Incumbent Judge Alonzo B. Coleman, Jr. If re-elected, Judge Coleman can only serve six months of a four-year term before the state requires that he retire in June 2009 at age 72. The new governor would then appoint a judge to fill Judge Coleman’s seat, with input from local attorneys. I believe that you should elect the judges who serve you, not politicians and attorneys. Politicians and attorneys represent a small, privileged group of society that already has too much power and influence.

Judges hear district court cases, not juries. District court judges have the power to remove your child from your home if your child has been neglected, send you to jail if you have committed a crime, or divide your marital property if you are getting divorced. They decide what evidence is presented in your case and decide the case’s ultimate outcome, for example, whether you are found innocent or guilty of a crime or whether you win or lose custody of your child.

It is imperative that district court judges have a strong commitment to the truth and to following the law because they have the power to change your life, for better or for worse. A district court judge’s desire to be impartial in applying the law must be stronger than his or her desire to be re-elected.

I am running for judge because I am able and willing to be fair and impartial. I have been practicing law since 2000, however, I have not assimilated myself into what some lawyers call "attorney culture." I do not support attorneys who cover up for each other’s misdeeds at their clients’ expense. I am an outspoken critic of lawyers who engage in unethical and unprofessional behavior. I fight vigorously in the courtroom in pursuit of the truth. I have the moral fiber and the backbone to give each side a fair hearing; I will never favor one side just because it has more power and influence in the community than the other side. As judge, I will follow the law without regard to politics or favoritism.

In 1996, I moved to Chapel Hill from Guilford County to attend UNC Law School. Since becoming a licensed attorney, I have guided hundreds of clients through gut-wrenching divorces. For the past four years, I have spent countless hours as a legal volunteer for the Women’s Center in Chapel Hill, helping women in Orange and Chatham Counties navigate the court system. I have helped parents, who face removal of their children from their homes, to make better parenting decisions. I have provided pro bono legal representation to women who are domestic violence survivors, and I have zealously represented men who have had false domestic violence charges brought against them. I have made our community safer by helping criminals locate and work with rehabilitation programs.

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What qualities are you looking for in a judge? Do you think some judges are biased? How has district court affected your life? Send me an email and let me know what you think.