Pictured, from left to right: Bo Watson, TN state senator, District 11; Steve Underwood, manager of Hixson Home Depot; Rosemary Dworak, Friends of Hixson board member; Alex McVeagh, Republican Hamilton Co. Circuit Court judge candidate; Larry Zehnder, Friends of Hixson board member; Kisha Cheeks, Democrat Hamilton Co. Circuit Court judge candidate; Greg Taylor, Friends of Hixson president; Vince Butler, Friends of Hixson board member; Katelyn Statom; Patsy Hazlewood, TN state representative, District 27 & FOH Coffee meeting sponsor.
Republican Alex McVeagh and Democrat Kisha Cheeks are on the Aug. 1 general election ballot to replace retired Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge L. Marie Williams. They both provided a large audience gathered at the Friends of Hixson Coffee meeting this week.
Both candidates said that most Sessions Court caseload involves family law, divorce and custody, and cases involving a monetary value of over $25,000.
Judge McVeagh said that having experienced his parents' divorce as a child, he understands the urgency of these situations.
He believes parents should come together and resolve their differences in a way that leaves that child better off in the long term. "It’s important to have a judge that cares for our kids and this community,” he said. He mentioned that he established an online mediation court in Sessions Court that assists healthcare providers and patients in resolving outstanding medical debts before they are turned over for collection or a lawsuit is filed. Judge McVeagh also founded the Hamilton County Misdemeanor Drug Recovery Court, which rehabilitates individuals in the criminal justice center through treatment, strict supervision, drug testing and education.
Both candidates mentioned they wanted to help increase the speed of hearing cases. They say Hamilton County’s growing population is straining our legal system, including the lack of an electronic filing system.
Ms. Cheeks says that her background as an engineer would help her find solutions to speed up the process of hearing cases in Circuit Court. She said that this would mean lower attorney fees for citizens coming into court because attorneys would be able to do some tasks at a desk as opposed to going to a courtroom. Ms. Cheeks feels some people question our justice system and are concerned about whether or not the law is being applied fairly to everyone.
The FOH Community Coffee Meetings are always free and open to the public; all are welcome to attend. Visit friendsofhixson.org for information on upcoming meetings.