BLAW 3400

M1 Judges and the Common Law System

15 points

In 2022, every judicial position in the State of Tennessee will be on the ballot. Assume that in the judicial district in which you live, there are 3 candidates running for Circuit Judge. The candidates are Bond, Melson and Carpenter.

In a questionnaire that was sent to each candidate, they were asked to list all of the organizations other than professional association to which they have belonged within the last five (5) years, including civic, charitable, religious, educational, social and fraternal organizations, and to give the titles and dates of any offices which they have held in those organizations.

Their answers are:

Bond:

Laurel Church of Christ - Member

Melson:

East Tennessee Historical Society - President, 4?2018 to present; Vice President 4/2014 to 4/2018; Member, Board of Directors 4/2013 to present

Tennessee Board of Law Examiners - Examination Assistant - 12/2013 to present

Delta Dental of Tennessee - Member, Board of Directors 5/2018 to present

Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church, Deacon 2018 to present

Church of the Good Shepherd, Member 2006 to 2016

The International Churchill Society

George Washington's Mount Vernon

Carpenter:

Powell United Methodist Church, Member

How will you use this information, if at all, as you decide which candidate to vote for in the Judicial Election?

Assume that during the election, it comes to light thatone of the candidateswore blackface at a party when he was an undergraduate. More specifically, he admitted to darkening his skin to dress as rapper Kurtis Blow for a college party when he was 19. How would that affect your views of his qualifications to bea judge? See https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/06/politics/virginia-attorney-general-blackface/index.html

A local organization is holding a candidate forum and they are asking members of the public to suggest questions that will be posed to the 3 candidates during the forum. List 3 questions you think should be asked at the forum. Explain why you chose those questions.