Law Forum Illustrates Differences Among Judicial Candidates

Law Professor Kent Barnett asked six questions of each of the four candidates seeking to be elected as a Superior Court Judge for the Western Judicial Circuit at the candidate forum held at the University of Georgia Law Library late last month.

The first two of the questions seemed like they could have been taken from a law school quiz, and the remaining four dealt with administrative issues the two winners of the May 22 nonpartisan general election are likely to deal with on the bench.

The four candidates gave more similar than dissimilar responses to those six questions.

At the end of the 90-minute session, Barnett asked each of the candidates to make closing comments and tell the audience why she or he should be elected.

In responding to that request, the candidates showed differences in temperament, style and approach to the election that may help voters without legal training decide who they want to hold two of the four Superior Court judgeships in the Circuit made up of Oconee and Clarke counties.

Turnout has been light so far in Oconee County, with only 412 of the county's 28,284 registered voters having cast a ballot in the first four days of early voting, which started on Monday.

For more on the story, with a video of the entire candidate forum, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Kent Barnett.