The Importance of Conservative Judges (Voices Magazine GFRW)

Justitia, Lady Justice, has been ‘blindfolded’ since the 15th century. The blindfold signifies the ability to be impartial, that justice should be measured accurately without fear or favor, regardless of race, gender, religion, personal wealth or power. Judges play an enormous role in our society. No other official can by his ruling alone change the lives of a person, an entire family or a nation. People tend to forget, or not even realize, that their lives can be drastically transformed by the decisions of a judge and jury.

Trial judges interpret the law, hear evidence presented and evaluate each. They control how hearings and trials develop in their courtrooms. In essence, the trial judge must play an independent and impartial role in order to assess all the facts presented and apply the laws pertaining to the case in question. Appellate judges, too, must impartially judge the evidence and the law in order to guide the lower courts and set good legal precedent.

Judges by the very nature of their title must stand above all others. It is imperative that they possess integrity, a strong moral character, ability to discern and have a calm temperament. A judge according to Canon law 2A “must avoid all impropriety and appearance of impropriety. This prohibition applies to both professional and personal conduct. A judge must expect to be the subject of constant public scrutiny and accept freely and willingly restrictions that might be viewed as burdensome by the ordinary citizen.”

The selection of judges can be by appointment or by election. While it is vitally important to elect competent, moral judges, it is also as important to elect competent, moral executives who have the power of appointing judges.

In today’s America we are all too familiar with the ‘lawlessness’ that has gripped our judicial system in the last six years. And it seems many are unfamiliar in what to look for when electing a conservative judge or a conservative executive. Is it any wonder that judges seem to have evolved from their ‘blinded’ position to a more partisan stance? The journey to the bench begins early as an attorney. It is here that the more critical working experience is formed and merges with the core values of the individual.

It is not the role of the judge to create new law but to interpret the laws enacted by the legislative bodies. Activists campaigning for the judiciary should not be considered and should be a red flag to the voter. By the time an attorney campaigns for a bench position he should have the experience, temperament and moral character to assume the responsibilities that go with the title, judge. We must dutifully inform ourselves to the qualifications of the candidates.

We basically have a two party system in America, Democrats and Republicans, which have entirely different ideologies. Republicans are for limited government, fiscal responsibility, and free market enterprise. The social values are also on opposite ends. Republicans value life, traditional marriage, and strong family support from conception to the end of life. Candidates to the judicial system freely decide their party of choice and are voted in as Democrats or Republicans. Appointments are also based on party affiliation.

It isn’t a secret that we are struggling to retain our Freedom of Religion in the courts today. It is because we now have judges who ‘interpret’ the law to suit their liberal agenda. The Hobby Lobby case was determined by a 5 to 4 ruling, making it a very close call by conservative justices. Obamacare as it is commonly called was upheld by a 5 to 4 ruling and called a ‘tax’ basically by the liberal justices.

In Texas the Voter ID law that was passed by the Texas legislators was ruled unconstitutional in early October by a liberal U.S. District Judge appointed by Barack Obama in January 2011 to the Southern District of Texas. However, the law was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court and is being used in the 2014 general election. We must be wary of Erick Holder’s motive for resigning as US Attorney General because he may be Obama’s 3rd Supreme Court appointment. Supreme Court justices are life appointments and reflect the ideology of the president making the appointment.

As voters we cannot know the candidates heart but we do have work history, case rulings and endorsements as criteria to base our decisions for voting. If we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy the freedoms we have taken for granted than we must be ever vigilant to assure that the judges we elect are conservative and reflect our conservative values.

Federal Judges Appointed by Barack Obama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_judges_appointed_by_Barack_...

This article was first published in VOICES Magazine Winter 2014 by the Georgia Federation of Republican Women
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/2014-Winter-Issue-of--Voices--Magazin...

Who Am I?
Sonja is an activist working on issues that affect Republicans and with candidates conveying positive conservative messages to the electorate in Texas. Her articles and photographs appear on Texas GOP Vote and in her local newspaper, the Bulverde Standard.

She is an accomplished photographer of more than 30 years and has been part of the Art in Embassy Program in Washington, D.C. Harris served as a legal assistant preparing legal documents for the past 20 years for her husband, a defense attorney specializing in criminal law and a former prosecutor for Bexar County for almost 30 years. In support of judicial candidates, Harris has written several articles explaining how critical it is to elect conservative judges.