Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/18075
ELECTION Guide 2010 years. I have served as a Boy Scout leader for 10 years and worked with non-profit agencies that assist families in need. Sandy and I have been married for 19 years and have two children. It is important to us that our community is safe and our courts are a place of fairness and justice. I have worked hard to be a tough and fair judge. I humbly ask for your vote on November 2. Ronnie M. Mitchell I am exceptionally well qualified to serve as Superior Court Judge (Dis- trict 12C). For more than three decades, I have practiced law in Cumberland County, and I have trial experience in each of the types of cases which come before the Superior Court. My experience is not limited merely to one area of the law or one or two types of cases. Instead, I have worked in the trial courts of Cumberland County and throughout the State as well as in the federal courts, dealing with the cases and issues facing the Superior Courts everyday. Experience and excellence, hard work and honesty, ingenuity and integ- rity are among the attributes that I will bring to service as a Superior Court judge for Cumberland County. In my law practice, I have been involved in complex criminal and civil litigation, including cases involving constitutional law, automobile collisions, tractor-trailer litigation, civ- il rights, police practices, premises liability, eminent domain, contractual and corporate litigation, among many others. I have aggressively pursued litigation against corporations and others who have injured people negligently or deliberately, obtaining settlements and verdicts in favor of injured and deceased individuals and their families. I have successfully defended civil cases brought against sheriffs, deputies, police officers, health care providers, public officials and corporations, as well as individuals. I have handled criminal cases ranging from misdemeanors to first-degree murder. I am one of the few lawyers in North Carolina who has presented cases in every level of court from the Small Claims Division to the U.S. Supreme Court. The depth and breadth of my experience demonstrate that I am very well qualified to serve as a Superior Court Judge. Additionally, in order to be well-qualified to serve as a Superior Court Judge, a candidate seeking to hold the office should not only have broad and deep experience, but should also dis- play that he or she possesses the professional integrity, ability, experience, competence and temperament indicative of superior fitness to perform the judicial function with a high degree of skill and effectiveness. I possess all of these attributes and these qualities. Over the years that I have practiced law, literally carrying the Constitution in my pocket and being guided by it, I have demonstrated that I possess the commitment to the law, integrity, character, intellec- tual capacity, fairness, experience, industry, care, concern, diligence, perseverance, judicial temperament (including courteousness, respect and consideration extended to counsel, parties, witnesses, court person- nel and jurors) requisite to service as a Superior Court Judge. I have shown that I have the professional ability and knowledge of the law needed to serve in the manner and at the level that the office of Superior Court Judge demands. From over-crowed jails, to backlogs of cases, to underused courtrooms, we need to change our courts to make them work better for our citizens. We need to efficiently and effectively administer justice. As we all know, justice delayed is justice denied. I know how to reduce the backlog of cases, not only through the better use of technology, for which I am widely known throughout the legal community, but also, my vast trial experience enables me to ana- lyze civil cases quickly and to determine whether a case is frivolous and should be dismissed or whether a case has merit and should proceed quickly to trial. In addition, I am able to evaluate criminal cases with clarity and speed and to insure that a fair and efficient, but effective disposition of such cases is made, resulting in a just determination, and where appropriate, the requisite sentence is imposed without delay and with the proper administration of justice, making full use of our courtrooms and facilities. I have been recognized for my exceptional work ethic and having the creativity to formulate and implement techniques and procedures that would improve the legal system and the administration of jus- tice in Cumberland County. I have been named to The Best Lawyers in America, Who’s Who in American Law, North Carolina Super Lawyers and America’s Top Counsel and I have received many other profes- sional recognitions. Based on years of observation, my colleagues and other current and former judges have stated that I am well-qualified to serve as Superior Court Judge. The values that I seek to bring to the Superior Court are those embodied in the Constitution and in the people of this city, county, and state. Because I am, as I always have been, committed to equal justice under law, I am seeking the office of Superior Court Judge in order to do justice. The Superior Court affects the rights and lives of the people in ways that are among the most important of all the ways that courts may affect the people. The superior courts are the sentinel courts that must do justice, and I am seeking to succeed retiring Judge E. Lynn Johnson in order to serve and to bring about real justice. Therefore, I respectfully ask the citizens of Cumberland County to support my election as Superior Court Judge. Mary Ann Tally My name is Mary Ann Tally, and I am a candidate for Superior Court Judge, District 12C. My husband John and I have raised our two sons here, and the four of us now practice law together at Tally & Tally. I have practiced law in this state for 36 years. In that time, I’ve handled everything from traffic tickets to juvenile cases, civil cases to felony criminal cases, as well as death penalty cases. I know both criminal and civil law. I’m a working lawyer and I understand the courtroom and the role that judges play there. I’ve spent my life as a lawyer standing up for people’s rights and fighting for justice. As a judge, I’ll put the same energy into ensuring that our judicial system is fair and impartial and that both sides of every case get the hearing they deserve and the hearing our Constitution requires. Over the years, I have served the legal community on numerous boards and committees and have been honored for my work both in and out of the courtroom. But just as importantly, I’ve served Cumberland County. I’ve lived here for 36 years and the Tally family has roots that go much deeper. I’ve served as the Chair of the Fayetteville Area Sentencing Center and of Farmworker Legal Services. I established a county Pre-trial Release program many years ago. I served as the Public Defender for our county for 19 years. Finally, I am an active and proud member of First Presbyterian Church and a piano accompanist for children and youth choirs. I see the position of Superior Court Judge as an extension of my legal and community service and an opportunity to give back to Cumberland County. As a candidate for judge, you won’t hear me taking positions, pro or con, on many issues. Instead, I’ll talk about my knowledge of the law, my experience in the courtroom, my commitment to our legal system and my sense of justice for all. I am the first woman to file for election to the Superior Court bench in our county. I would be honored to serve as a Superior Court Judge for ALL of us. John Marsh Tyson Experience, education, prior public service, and a conservative judicial philosophy. During my eight years as a Judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, our state’s second highest court, I reviewed over 5,000 rul- ings and orders of Superior Court Judges throughout North Carolina. My judicial record shows judicial independence, fairness and efficiency and a life-long commitment to continuing education, training, public service and experience. I offer the voters 12 years of judicial experience, 14 years of administrative law experience, and more than 20 years of experience in private practice and business law. I hope you agree that these unique experiences provide me with the knowledge and experience to ensure fair trials, avoid errors and to promote justice. Please visit my website: www. judgejohntyson.com. Many officials and supporters urged me to file for election to the Superior Court, due to the diversity of my life and judicial experiences and my commitment to justice and public service. Citizens are losing confidence in our courts’ ability to fairly and promptly resolve disputes. The mission and goals of our judicial system requires judges: “To protect and preserve the rights and liberties of all the people, as guaranteed by the Constitutions and laws of the United States and North Carolina, by providing a fair, independent and accessible forum for the just, timely and economical resolution of their legal affairs.” With the retirements of both Superior Court Judges Johnson and Thompson, Cumberland County is losing decades of Superior Court judicial experience, and we risk having three of our four Superior Court Judges with no judicial experience. Impartial, experienced and independent judges are essential to administer justice. My record shows judicial independence and efficiency and a life-long commitment to continuing education, training, public service and experience. I practice judicial restraint and believe judges should not advocate for or substi- tute their personal or policy preferences to usurp elected representatives of the people. As one of only two candidates with any judicial experience, I hope you agree my background uniquely qualifies me to serve as a Superior Court Judge. My wife, Kirby, and I are Cumberland County natives and products of Cumberland County public schools. Kirby and I have been married for 35 years and are parents of four children and one grandchild. We are life-long members of First Presbyterian Church. Our community is undergoing significant population growth, while our crime rate remains one of the highest in North Carolina. Experience and integrity are required to deliver justice fairly and efficiently. Please review my education and experience below. To be elected to serve as a Superior Court Judge is a high honor and carries great responsibility. I respectfully ask and thank you for your vote and support in the general election on November 2nd. Early voting begins October 14th. 28 UCW OCTOBER 20-26, 2010 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM