05/23/2022
My opponent has decided to purchase ads in the newspaper and online, and has mailed cards to thousands of homes containing blatant misinformation about my experience and about my law practice. He has included misleading information about the people who "support" his campaign. In the interest of clarity, let me set the record straight:
1) I have in fact tried civil cases in the courts of Lee County, including in the Circuit Court. Just because it's not my bread and butter doesn't mean I've never done it. This fact is easily researchable using the Circuit Court's own public files. Difficult in-depth research is a mainstay of being a good judge.
2) My opponent has stated that I have "been a court appointed criminal defense attorney for the past six years." Not only is this false, but it seeks to denigrate the difficult and necessary work of defense counsel. Within the last six years, I have been deployed to the Middle East as a felony prosecutor handling much more complex cases than speeding and shoplifting. I then stayed on with Alabama National Guard headquarters in Montgomery as an assistant general counsel for a year. After that, I began rebuilding my law firm for the third time (deployments are hard on a small business). Lee County does not employ Public Defenders, but instead contracts with private attorneys in the community to provide defense counsel to indigent people. As part of my general law practice, I do take appointed felony cases. In 2021, I believe I tried more jury trials than any private attorney in Lee County. Each of the attorneys who takes felony criminal appointments in our Circuit has at least eight years experience -- some have decades more -- and is a consummate professional. In fact, my opponent has taken appointed criminal cases in his own career. Combined with the dedicated service of our District Attorney's office and law enforcement, our Circuit has one of the most professional criminal justice systems I've ever seen. I believe it's important to have excellent attorneys handling both prosecution and defense in criminal cases to ensure the Constitution is upheld and that your rights as citizens are protected by the courts.
3) I spoke to Smiths Station Mayor Bubba Copeland on Friday, and he is NOT endorsing my opponent, nor did he approve his photo being on a flyer sent to thousands of houses in Lee County. Moreover, more than one of the "supporters" my opponent has touted over the last several days have in fact also donated to my campaign. I have not asked them if I could use their names, so I won't do so here. I encourage every voter to ask the attorneys they know about my character and about my opponent's character.
I believe a judge should be someone whose character is impeccable. Someone who does not deal in half-truths or try to mislead people into thinking something is true when it's not. A judicial candidate should also not be running ads telling the people he will judge like a prosecutor, or implying that he will support big business against individuals, or that he will support any group over another. Here are some selections from the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics: "A judge should observe high standards of conduct so that the integrity and independence of the judiciary may be preserved. A judge should conduct himself at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary. A candidate for election to a judicial office shall endeavor at all times to refrain from political activities inappropriate to the judicial office that he seeks."
