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Forum introduces judicial candidates
Dan Eakin/Staff Photo - From left, Jody Johnson, Ben Smith, Terri Green and Chip Jarvis, all candidates for the 380th District Court judge's seat, hold their yard signs prior to the judicial forum Saturday afternoon at the Collin College campus in Plano. James Mosser, a fifth candidate for the seat, did not attend and said later that he had no yard signs up in the county.
By Dan Eakin, deakin@acnpapers.com
The conference center on the Collin College campus in Plano on Saturday afternoon appeared to be hosting a political convention.
A large number of candidates were on hand from Collin County and beyond, posting their yard signs both outside and inside the building and smiling at and greeting as many potential voters as possible.
The hallways of the conference center were lined with tables containing the displays of the many candidates who attended the judicial forum, hosted by the Collin College Young Conservatives.
At 1 p.m., they gathered inside the Living Legends auditorium for a patriotic program which began with a welcome by Michael Marks, a former Marine who is serving as president of the Collin College Young Conservatives. Marks introduced Mark Reid, past president of the Texas Tea Party Alliance, who served as moderator.
Following a prayer by radio show host Wayne Richard and a dramatic singing of the National Anthem, Reid introduced panelists and reviewed the rules of the forum.
Although non-judicial candidates were not allowed to speak, many were present and were recognized by Reid.
The panelists included Marks; Barbara Harless, a precinct chairman and active Tea Party member; and Don Braugh, member of the Collin College Young Conservatives.
Each of the candidates was given two minutes to introduce themselves and state briefly why they felt they should be elected. Many of the candidates were asked the same questions by the panelists, including their thoughts on the rule of law vs. the rule of man, if judges have an obligation to raise public awareness of the court system and to what extent judges should defer to the legislature.
Several candidates responded that they understand that it is the duty of the legislature to make the laws and the duty of the judges to determine whether those laws have been broken or obeyed.
Among the candidates were four who are seeking election to the state 380th District Court judge position, which recently became vacant when Suzanne Wooten was removed from the post after being found guilty of bribery and other charges. They included Jody Johnson, Ben Smith, Terri Green and Chip Jarvis. James Mosser, a fifth candidate for the position, said he had a previous appointment and did not attend.
Other candidates present and giving their qualifications and views on why they should be elected included Sharon Ramage, Gene Sera and Barnett Walker, candidates for the County Court at Law #2 judge seat.
Also, Bob Dry and Angela Tucker, candidates for the county's 199th district court judge position spoke briefly, listed their qualifications and answered questions from the panel.
Judge Martin Richter of the Texas 5th District Court of Appeals, Place 9, came all the way from Desoto to tell why he should be re-elected after serving 21 years as a judge in various capacities. His opponent, David Lewis, did not attend.
Also, all five candidates for the position of judge for the Texas 5th District Court of Appeals, Place 2, were present and spoke briefly, including Jennifer Balido, David Evans, Kevin Keith, Bill Whitehill and Jeff Coen.
Fred Moses, Collin County Republican Party chairman, said following the event, "I thought the forum served a very important purpose in providing information about the candidates and helping us to get to know the candidates better."
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