There is a vacancy in the 4th District Court, it’s a judgeship we feel Attorney Fred Jones should be allowed to fill.
The vacancy was created when Judge Marcus Hunter was elected to the Court of Appeals. An election will be held in October to select an attorney to complete the remainder of Judge Hunter’s term.
We feel that Attorney Jones has proven himself to be level-headed, a judicial scholar, wise, and a listener. All of these are qualities we seek in a judge in addition to character and training.
A practicing attorney, Attorney Jones has handled a variety of cases before the courts both civil and criminal. He has always done so in a forceful yet professional manner.
His firm has a history of representing the underserved in the community, both black and white. These are the ones who have often fallen between the cracks and escape justice or mercy.
We feel this experience will be invaluable since he will have numerous cases before him that have an appearance of evil that is not substantiated by the evidence. A judge who has seen miscarriages of justice as a spokesman for the underserved is uniquely sensitive to ways that justice can be thwarted if the judiciary does not insure fair play.
There are many qualified attorneys in our community who meet this same criterion. However, we feel that Attorney Jones has proven himself in the public arena.
He is presently serving as State Representative for District 16. In that capacity, he has made himself accessible, sought input from his constituents, avoided political infighting, and has a voting record that reflects the interest of his constituents and the good of the state.
We are not alone in our opinion of Attorney Jones. With the exception of one, all Black elected officials have publicly endorsed him for this interim judgeship. That’s highly unusual because traditionally most public officials wait to see who else may rise as a challenger. Their willingness to pledge their support even before the field of possible challengers is known speaks volumes to their opinion of the credibility and qualifications of Attorney Jones.
This is only an interim election. For about two years, we’ll get a chance to see his judicial temperament, the constitutionality of his rulings, and his personal decorum. If he does well, he will seek a full term as judge. If he fails during this time, he won’t be re-elected.
We feel Attorney Jones has proven himself on his own merit and should be given this chance to further prove himself.
