Qualifications
What training, experience, and characteristics qualify you forthis position?
I was elected to serve two terms as Justice of the Peace in Precinct 5 at the Place 1 court on Chimney Rock Road. I am the only candidate in the race with judicial experience. At Chimney Rock, I reduced a massive 70,000 case backlog during my first five years. On small claims cases, my appeals rate was less than 1/2 of one percent, which means only one in 200 small clams litigants felt the need to appeal my ruling. I ran a fair and efficient Court, all cases were handled in a timely fashion, and all members of our diverse community felt welcomed and fairly treated.
Initiatives
What initiatives will you implement to facilitate the resolution of small claims cases and landlord-tenant disputes, and what is your approach to eviction proceedings to ensure that the rights of all parties are fairly considered?
On small claims cases, I will institute the same regimen and approach that yielded such a low appeals rate, as mentioned above. Hearing cases well, taking time to explain the applicable law, using my seasoned experience to develop the case well.. But the significant advantage I have over my opponent is that I am fully bilingual. Nearly always, when a tenant does not have a good command of English, the property manager is fluent in Spanish. My ability to conduct eviction trials in the Spanish language is a tremendous asset to tenants and landlords, so each party can understand what is being said by the other side, can understand what the judge is saying as he/she explains the law and how it applies to the facts in their case.
