CITIZENS FOR BETTER JUDGES Press Release March 23, 2018 Citizens for Better Judges (CBJ) announced its endorsements today in the contested races in the Jefferson Family Court and the Jefferson District Court that are on the ballot in the upcoming election cycle. It should be noted that CBJ’s interview and endorsement process for candidates seeking election to the Jefferson Circuit Court (Div. 2) will take place on April 11, 2018. CBJ was organized in January, 1983, in an effort to maintain and improve the quality of the judiciary by promoting the election of only the most highly qualified judicial candidates. It consists of a 30-member Steering Committee made up of lawyers who are all involved in litigation practice but concentrate in different fields of law, and a Citizens Review Board consisting of a cross-section of community-minded citizens with diverse occupations and backgrounds. Additionally, the organization has an Advisory Board made up of the past chairs of CBJ. Each candidate for judicial office is personally interviewed by the Steering Committee. After the interviews have been completed, the Steering Committee members consider the information obtained during the interviews and share their personal knowledge of the candidates. Lay members of the Citizens Review Board are present to monitor the interviews and the integrity of the endorsement process. The Citizens Review Board must approve the endorsements recommended by the Steering Committee. The endorsement process for the upcoming general election was completed today, March 23rd, and involved consideration of a total of eighteen candidates for the Jefferson Family and District Courts. After a lengthy and rigorous evaluation of each candidate’s qualifications for election to the family court and district court benches, CBJ made the following endorsements: Jefferson Family Court (Div. 4) -- Bryan Gatewood Jefferson District Court (Div. 3) – [No Endorsement] These candidates meet the high standards and demanding criteria established for endorsement by Citizens for Better Judges and they are recommended to the electorate as the most qualified in the family court and the district court judicial races. CBJ officers for 2018 are: John R. Reed, Chair Reginald A. Bruce, Ph.D., Rev. Joseph T. Graffis and Curtis L. Barrett, Ph.D. serve as Co-Chairs of the Citizens Review Board. The members of the Attorney Steering Committee are:
As previously noted, the members of the Citizens Review Board consist of a cross-section of community leaders from professional and service organizations, as well as from the fields of business, labor, government and education. The members of the Citizens Review Board are:
The Past Chairs of CBJ who make up the Advisory Board are:
For further information, please contact: |
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