Candidate Profile: Rupal Vaishnav For Forsyth County State Court Judge

CUMMING, GA — Two candidates are running for Forsyth County State Court Judge in the May 24 General Primary Election.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as the primary draws near.

Rupal Vaishnav is running for Forsyth County State Court Judge.

<b>Name</b>

Rupal Vaishnav

<b>Campaign website</b>

https://www.rupalforjudge.com/

<b>City or town of residence</b>

Cumming

<b>Office sought</b>

Forsyth County State Court Judge

<b>Party affiliation</b>

<b>Education</b>

Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering & Juris Doctor (Law)

<b>Occupation</b>

Deputy Chief ADA / Attorney - 23 years

<b>Family</b>

Married to the same person for 23 years. We have two kids; 21 and 17 year old

<b>Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?</b>

No.

<b>Age</b>

49

<b>Previous public office, appointive or elective</b>

No.

<b>Why are you seeking this office?</b>

A servant leader at heart, I have always given back at every stage of my life. From high school through college and in my professional / family life, I have always volunteered and given back to my community. As a seasoned attorney with the most RELEVANT experience for the job I am seeking, this is the best and professional way to give back to the community I believe in and can be a bridge builder for the future. I want to be part of the solution and not the problem.

<b>Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.</b>

Backlog of cases - use my experience as a criminal and civil attorney to move cases so folks get resolutions as quickly as possible.

<b>What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?</b>

My depth and breath of experience. I am the only candidate that has handled cases in State Court and had actual civil trial and civil case experience. I have the most RELEVANT and well-rounded experience for the job, period. I am a prosecutor, been a criminal defense attorney, a civil attorney and a certified mediator. A judge needs to have such well-rounded experience to pull from when they have to rule on issues that are in front of him. It's only through the most well-rounded experience, over the course of 23 years, that one can obtain the skill set necessary to be the best competent judge one can be. A patient, fair, well-rounded judge who will give everyone their fair day in court.

<b>If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?</b>

There is no incumbent in this race. It's an open seat.

<b>What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?</b>

As a judicial candidate, the single most thing is to recognize that judges have authority, but more importantly they have limits to their authority. One such limit is that they are not legislators. I intend to honor that limit and not legislate from the bench. I also intend to hold the balance between safety, accountability and rehabilitation. I am the first candidate who supported Veterans' Court in Forsyth County if the numbers are there to support it. Additionally, I want to explore ways to leverage technology to move minor offenses and I want to engage with civil lawyers and resolve their discovery disputes early so cases can move forward. As the only candidate who is a certified mediator, I am interested in solving people's problems or help them solve their problems. That is what an effective judge brings to the table and I am that effective candidate with the experience to do the job and do it well.

<b>What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?</b>

I have lectured on legal topics. I have handled over 2000 misdemeanor cases from both prosecution and criminal defense standpoint. I am the only candidate that has conducted jury trials in both criminal and civil cases. I am the only candidate who has been in private practice which helps one understand what it means to run a private practice, be responsive to court and have paying clients who rely on your advise and performance. My opponent has never had any paying clients or actual civil case experience. I have won significant awards for my civil clients and outstanding results for my criminal justice clients. As a prosecutor, I quickly ascended the professional ladder from Assistant Solicitor to Senior Assistant Solicitor to now Deputy Chief ADA. Similarly, I have been an Assistant County Attorney and a Senior Assistant County Attorney. I have worked as an associate with a law-firm that represented Forsyth County and other local governments. Finally, as a steadfast attorney who loves the law and the Constitution, I had the honor of being instrumental in shutting down an entire unconstitutional traffic court system in the State of Georgia.

<b>What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?</b>

When you believe you can make a difference and make the place better than you found it, don't stand by, get involved.

<b>Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?</b>

Holding the position of a judge in our community is extremely important. When, as a judge you are asked to rule on novel issues, you can only rely on the law and your experience. That is why it is so important to select a candidate that has the right legal experience. I would love to get your support on May 24th and my race is the last race on the ballot and I am the last one listed on the ballot.