13th Circuit Judge Serves As A Panelist In A Public Drug Summit, Risks Contact With Voters And Stakeholders

With the exception of the 13th circuit's newest judge, Joanna Tabit, I have sent letters to every 13th circuit judge inviting them - pleading with them - to come out to a St. Albans Neighborhood Watch meeting and discuss ways to get drugs and drug dealers out of our neighborhoods when prisons are full and incarceration isn't an option. Most of the judges didn't reply to me even after multiple emails and letters. Those who did reply did so through court staffers who explained that judges don't really make such public appearances because it would be "inappropriate" or even "unethical" for them to do so. 

One 13th circuit judge, Carrie Webster, agreed to meet privately with St. Albans City Councilwoman Cheryl Thomas and me but later cancelled the meeting and ignored out calls to re-schedule. 

I also invited all 13th circuit judges except the newest judge, Joanna Tabit, to attend a meeting of neighborhood watch leaders, city council members and St. Albans Police Chief, Mike Matthews. None took me up on the offer. 

So let's give Kudos to Judge Jennifer Bailey who participated in last night's "drug addiction summit" at the Culture Center. Apparently, Judge Bailey doesn't think it's unethical or inappropriate for judges to participate in public fora. In my last post I cynically suggested that perhaps Judge Bailey accepted the invitation to participate in the drug summit as a sort of unofficial kickoff to her re-election bid but I don't really care why she went out and risked contact with people below her social class, I'm just glad she did and I hope other 13th circuit judges will get out and talk to stakeholders - even if only to get re-elected.

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