Vote for LEA BONE
Tuesday March 13, 2012
in the Republican Primary
WHY I'M RUNNING FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY CIRCUIT JUDGE:
"As the mother of two small children, I care deeply about the future of Jefferson County. As someone with a successful law practice and another small business, I also care about the quality of our justice system. If we citizens are going to be safe and prosperous, we need to elect judges with integrity, character and a clear knowledge of the law. I believe I have the values and experience Jefferson County needs."
The Civil Circuit Court seat (Place 13) that I’m seeking is currently held by Republican Judge Ed Ramsey. But Judge Ramsey is retiring, making this an "open" seat.
When Judge Ramsey leaves office, Jefferson County citizens will lose his 16 years of wisdom and leadership.
At every level, our government is in turmoil. Here in Jefferson County, citizens are disgusted by the corruption and mismanagement which has led us to file for bankruptcy.
Our public offices are supposed to be offices of public trust. However, right now, they are offices of public distrust. Our future--- and more importantly---the futures of our children are dependent upon the character of the public servants we elect in 2012 and afterward.
Our society is built upon the bedrock of the law. Starting with our judges, it is critical we elect people who have integrity and character. We need men and women with experience and competence. And, fundamentally, we must have judges who are firmly committed to following the Rule of Law.
INTEGRITY:
I believe in personal character and public virtue.
For justice to be truly blind, a judge needs to make his or her decisions without any preconceived notions or biases. I will bring no personal nor political agendas to the bench, and I will not be swayed by outside influences or interests.
I commit to you that any person who walks into a courtroom I preside will be treated with fairness and respect.
EXPERIENCE:
I believe that the wisest, most effective judges are those well-rounded through past experiences.
My professional background of twenty-seven years has a broad variety of legal experience best-suited for this particular judgeship.
I began as a secretary and then a paralegal. I have worked in a District Attorney's office. I have clerked for a circuit judge. I have worked as in-house counsel for a publicly traded company, managing outside litigation. I have worked in a law firm as a litigator. I am blessed today to be a founding partner in my own firm where I have worked in the context of civil litigation.
And while my career is full of courtroom experience, I also have the benefit of classroom experience and legal theory through my stint as an adjunct professor at the Birmingham School of Law where I taught courses like, "The Fundamentals of Legal Writing" and "Pleadings and Practice."
I submit to you that my many and unique experiences have prepared me to be a wise and effective judge.
RULE OF LAW:
I believe in the Rule of Law, and I'll act according to the Rule of Law.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to take an issue into the courtroom, but if you do, you'll want a judge who will issue decisions based on the Rule of Law. The judge’s job is not to make law from the bench. That’s the responsibility of your elected representatives in the legislative branch of government. A judge needs to make sure the laws are followed and fairly applied to the facts of each case.
Civil court decisions can have million and billion dollar economic impacts on our communities. There is no room for lawsuit abuse and no excuse for judicial negligence. In order to attract and keep the businesses and industry which will provide us and our children with jobs, the job creators need to have confidence that our judicial system is stable and reliable and that the rules are not going to change as the wind blows.
I pledge I will be guided by a conservative philosophy of constitutionalism, and I will stay grounded in the law as written.