Direct from Jeff Schumacher
Judicial races are unlike other races, such as for county judge or city commissioner, in the sense that judicial candidates cannot advocate their stance on an issue that may come before them as judge, else they would be disqualified from hearing that issue in the future. This rule makes sense when you realize that a judge’s job is to examine the facts of each case, apply the law to those set of facts, and then make a ruling in conformity with both the existing statutes as passed by the Kentucky General Assembly and with the existing case law as decided by the Kentucky Court of Appeals and Kentucky Supreme Court.
That being said, it is appropriate for a candidate to emphasize their qualification and experience in comparison to their opponent in the race and to discuss what their approach will be to the job and the changes and/or improvements that they will implement if elected. Such as…
- There are many issues that come before the circuit court that affect the litigants day to day lives and need to be heard and decided as quickly as possible. The ones that come to mind as being the most important are those involving children and custody matters. These cases will receive priority when I am elected Judge and decision will be rendered in a timely manner to minimize any disruption in the child’s life.
- Every case is important to the parties involved and deserves to be heard and decided in an efficient and timely manner. I will manage the caseload to optimize the court’s ability to have hearing and will utilize scheduling orders to keep cases moving through the system.
- My goal will be to implement and utilize the latest technology in order to increase efficiency and provide the best service possible.