posted October 15, 2007
Two committees of the County Commission will meet Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. to discuss their favorites for four judicial commissioner posts.
Members of the legal committee told committee chairman John Brooks they will be giving him their top four for the posts.
The security and corrections committee will also be involved in the session prior to a regular commission meeting.
Most commission members were present on Monday afternoon to hear from 17 candidates for the posts. The judicial commissioners set bonds and sign warrants at the County Jail on nights and weekends.
The chief judicial commissioner will be paid $63,000, and the other three will earn $58,000.
There were initially 20 contenders, but Dick Teeter and Jack Benson Jr. dropped out earlier. Marti Tonahill said she is ill and also no longer in the running, it was stated.
The commission heard brief presentations from Mike West, Joe Timberlake, Gary Starnes, Christie Scott, Gordon Petty, Charles Paty, Shelly Parker, Yolanda Mitchell, Doug Curtis, James Anderson, Bob Meeks, Bob Davis, Larry Ables, Doug Peck, Marty Lasley, Art Wulforst and Mike Acuff.
Attorneys Meeks, Petty and Anderson are the current judicial commissioners. The current judicial commissioners were given four-year terms, that expire at the end of October. The new judicial commissioners will have one-year terms.
Several existing judicial commissioners and attorneys who work closely with them say the code book they use is not up to date and the computer system they use does not allow them to fully check criminal backgrounds. They also said their space at the County Jail is cramped.
Attorney Anderson, who is one of two black candidates along with Ms. Mitchell, said 80 percent of those who come up for bonds are African-Americans.
Attorney Ables, who is an assistant district attorney, turned in a list of 10 suggestions for improving the judicial commissioner process.
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