Circuit judge candidates address experience, case loads

Published 7:39 pm Friday, May 11, 2018

WEST POINT — The candidates for Cullman County Circuit Judge Place 2, incumbent Martha Williams and challenger Melvin Hasting, addressed experience and case loads at during the Cullman County Republican Party’s candidate forum in West Point.

In his opening statement Thursday, Hasting addressed his use of cases that have been tried by Williams in his campaign advertisements, and said it is not against the Canons of Judicial Ethics to do so as long as he is not being misleading or producing false information.

“I can run this race like any other election, and I’m doing it,” he said. “It’s important that y’all make an informed decision about who your Circuit Judge is.”

Williams stressed her 30 years of experience in both criminal and civil cases while acting as a private attorney, a prosecutor for the District Attorney’s office and as Circuit Judge for the last five-and-a-half years.

“I’ve handled everything kind of case that come in front of a circuit judge, and I’ve done it from both sides,” she said.

One of the questions posed to the candidates asked them how they would attack the problem of the county’s court cases being so backed up.

Hasting said the case backlog could maybe be solved by taking a better look at upcoming cases and not wasting the limited number of jury weeks that are available.

When a criminal jury week is approaching, the judges can see if there are any criminal cases ready to try, and if not, they can set up a civil trial for the same week, he said.

“To me, it is very important that we make good use of those jury weeks,” he said. “That’s the answer, but it’s going to take some initiative.”

Williams said that she and Circuit Judge Greg Nicholas have scheduled criminal and civil cases on the same docket, but it is important for all parties to be prepared for their trials. 

Some cases take a long time to be prepared, and she does not want to take a case to trial if both sides are not ready, Williams said.

“As a judge, what I want to be sure of is that everybody has an opportunity for a fair shot at presenting his or her case,” she said. 

The candidates were also asked about legislating from the bench, and how they would avoid that if they were elected.

Any time a judge is doing something other than listening to both sides of a case and making a fair judgment can be considered legislating from the bench, Hasting said. 

“People expect a certain judge to follow the law, they expect them to follow the rules, they expect them to treat them fairly and give them due process,” he said. 

Williams said judges are supposed to administer the law, no matter how they personally feel about it, and that is what she has done in her time as circuit judge. 

“It’s not my job to try to make the law, and that’s not what I do,” she said. 

Tammy Brown, the incumbent in the race for Cullman County Probate Judge, was unable to attend the forum, so challenger Carol Berry was given the chance to speak for a few minutes and make her pitch to the audience.

Berry said one of the things she is focusing on this campaign is accessibility, and she wants to have an office that is open and welcoming to the people of the community, and she wants to be able to help everyone who needs it.

“Maybe that doesn’t necessarily fall under something that I can do, but I can guide you in the right direction,” she said.

Only one of the candidates for Cullman County Commissioner, West Side, attended the forum, as challenger Andy Coffey could not attend. 

Incumbent Garry Marchman made his pitch to the voters by telling them how much he has enjoyed serving them over his current term as commissioner, and how he would like to continue to do so.

He said the job is not easy, and it comes with making a lot of tough decisions, but he believes he is still the right person to serve as County Commissioner.

“I do what I do because I believe I can make a difference,” Marchman said.