New Judge for Family Court in Lebanon TN, VOTE PEOPLEJuly 5, 2008
Three seek Wilson County judgeship
New court to be limited to family cases
By CLAY CAREY
Staff Writer
LEBANON —
Voters in Wilson County will fill a newly created general sessions
judgeship in the August election, installing the county's first
full-time family court judge. Unlike
the two sitting general sessions judges, who can hear civil and
criminal court cases, the new judge will have a narrow specialty:
domestic cases like divorces and probate disputes. County
commissioners created the new judgeship, which comes with a
$140,000-a-year salary, last summer in hopes of easing problems created
by the community's rapid growth: overcrowding in the existing
courtrooms and lengthy delays in court proceedings. The
county initially considered installing a new judge before this year's
election. But funding for the new court quickly became an issue, so
commissioners decided against installing a temporary judge. Haywood Barry
"There's a tremendous need for it. … For the last 10 years, they've needed it," said candidate Haywood Barry. Barry
sits on the Lebanon City Council, a post he would have to give up if
elected judge. He served as general sessions judge in Wilson County
from 1974 to 1998, when he retired to return to his law practice. He
also has been appointed to fill in for judges in other counties when
they have to miss court. "In
this first part, they'll need to organize. I feel like I have the
ability to get this court off on the right foot," Barry said. "It will
take several months to get everybody playing on the same team." Barry
said the new court should be better coordinated with the higher courts
in the county. He would also like to work on a "mediation program" to
keep disputes involving children from evolving into contentious court
cases. John T. Gwin
John T. Gwin, another
judicial candidate, also said mediation can benefit children involved
in cases and help keep court running more quickly. "The
increase in population is beginning to show up on the dockets," Gwin
said. "Sometimes folks get so intent on houses, cars, boats (and) bills
that a child takes a back seat" and mediation can help prevent that. Gwin
is Mt. Juliet's city judge and president of the Tennessee Municipal
Judges Association. He has practiced family law in Mt. Juliet for 31
years. "Family law
is what I've always done," Gwin said. "Do you elect, essentially hire,
a judge for that position that already knows how to do that, or do you
want to hire someone who has to learn?" Gwin
said starting a new court "is not going to be a challenge at all"
because the infrastructure — like clerks, dockets and security — are
already in place. E. Marie Farley
E. Marie Farley, a Lebanon
attorney, is the only candidate in the general sessions judge race who
had never run for public office before. "I'm
not a politician. I don't think I could learn to be," Farley said. "I
think it's an advantage. I don't think there is another office I would
run for." Farley
works for the local public defender's office representing children who
find themselves in court but can't afford an attorney. Her
private practice focused on family law issues, and for a time she
worked as a foster care worker and case manager for North Carolina's
children and human services department. "A
lot of time for judges the biggest issue is being able to sit on the
bench and remain true to themselves and the position" without letting
personal opinions skew their view of the law, she said. "To me, this is
not just a job. To me, it's a passion." Early voting for the August Wilson County elections begins Wednesday.
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