Those Alex McVeagh and Michele Coffman signs? My curiosity led me to speak with each candidate, face-to-face. Fascinating. They are running to replace one of four judges who serve on a State court, the Circuit Court Division 3 judgeship.
Mr. McVeagh has spent the last seven years as a county judge in Hamilton County's General Sessions Court, which handles misdemeanors and civil court cases less than $25,000, such as evictions, medical debt and debt collections. It has a criminal side, which I did not explore. My understanding is that Mr. McVeagh's experience has largely been on drug cases on the criminal side of the court.
Ms. Coffman assumed Coffman leadership of the McColpin and Coffman general law practice in 2001, from her father. Since then she estimates spending 80 percent of her gime bringing cases before varying judges .. on the very Circuit Court for which she is contesting the judge's seat with Mr. McVeagh. Speaking with other lawyers, they estimate that a judge on this court will spend 70 percent or more of his/her time on family issues, such as divorce, child custody and division of assets.
If "who" makes a financial contribution to either candidate is considered a whole-hearted endorsement, rather than an obligatory financial contribution, each candidate has the support of a very impressive number of the character-earned professionals in the community. It was interesting that the 70/30 rule seemed to apply .. the more legally prominent the endorser, the more the contributor leaned to Mr. McVeagh. Then I realized Mr. McVeagh was a former employee of a large Chattanooga legal firm.
Each are persons of seeming goodwill. Neither spoke negatively to me of the other.
Mr. McVeagh's embrace of the Federalist Society gives me pause. That organization has not sanctioned John Eastman. If I were Mr. McVeagh, I'd uncheck the box that links him to the Federalist Society. The extent to which an organization is corrupt is the extent to which it is ascended by power.
My decision: Coffman's heart for timely disposition of cases of children caught in families experiencing judicial chaos, combined with her 23 years of constant docket interface with the organization she would like to join, makes her the clear choice for me. In any case ... Vote.
Richard Campbell
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I have never met either candidate, however, I spoke with a friend who is a retired judge here in Hamilton County and asked for his opinion. I was leaning toward Judge McVeagh, however, my friend highlighted the same issues as Mr. Campbell regarding each candidates background. He made it clear that Ms. Coffman can step right into the position as an expert on family law given her many years practicing this area of law whereas McVeagh's experience is such that he will have to start from scratch learning this area of the law given the nature of the court where he currently serves.
After that conversation from someone I highly respect, I decided that Ms. Coffman would be the right choice for this judgeship and voted accordingly.
James Nelson
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I didn't know Alex McVeagh was a member of the Federalist Society. But now that I do know that, I'm extra glad I voted for him.
Joe Dumas