Once again I feel compelled to respond to my opponent’s claims. While I have read post after post by supporters from each side, I have tried to stay above all of the petty gamesmanship. Unfortunately, when my opponent crosses the line and distorts my record and insults my staff I feel obliged to let the people of this county know the truth. In his last article, Mr. Blackard claims that “as many as 1000 cases have been stripped†from Juvenile Court due my inefficient system. This simply is not true.
Mr. Blackard should quit trying to be cute with his words, which mislead the public. Our race is not for a federal office, it is for a local judgeship. Attorneys and the fine people who work in the Civic Center know the truth of the Court`s recent restructuring. After having the same rotation system in place in Superior Court for over 30 years, and after a year of planning, the seven Superior Court judges instituted a change by having Judge Pigman handle major felonies, Judge Trockman handle drug cases, and the Judge Lloyd, D`Amour, Tornatta, and Kiely handle a new family law division which includes paternity cases. This new restructuring allows some of the judges to specialize and allows me and my staff more time to concentrate on children who have been abused and neglected. These neglect cases have almost quadrupled over the last ten years, due to the meth epidemic.
Juvenile Court was not “stripped†of 1000 cases. My court and staff were not being inefficient. Mr. Blackard`s comments are just political “spin†.The decision to restructure all of Superior Court was done to help our community. At our last forum in front of the Rotary, Mr. Blackard claimed he will take back these 1000 paternity cases into Juvenile Court where they belong. This would be a colossal mistake.
The new family division is working terrifically. By evenly distributing Superior Court`s workload over all of the judges the community is better served. The abused children cases are and should remain Juvenile Court`s number one priority. Anyone reading Mr. Blackard`s comments would think that cases were removed against my will, due to my lack of efficiency. He deliberately tried to make the public think something which is absolutely false.
Since I am responding to political “spinâ€, I might as well respond to another recent accusation of my opponent. I had originally ignored the controversy when Mr. Blackard implied that my campaign was destroying signs and it was my duty to put a stop to it. Let me make this perfectly clear, neither I nor my supporters are destroying signs. All of us candidates have had a lot of signs stolen and destroyed, but yet none of us went to the public accusing our opponents. Unfortunately, signs being destroyed are part of every campaign. I wish the police would catch one of the juveniles who are probably doing it to all of us. It would make my day. To accuse people of wrong doing without any facts is simply wrong. As a defense attorney who represents people charged with crimes, Mr. Blackard should know better than to make baseless claims. Quite frankly, I am getting tired of having my reputation smeared without one ounce of truth behind the claims. For over 20 years I have represented this county as a prosecutor and now as Judge and nobody has ever questioned my integrity and work ethic. It is sad that Mr. Blackard has resorted to this type of campaign.
FOOT NOTE: POSTED WITHOUT OPINION, BIAS OR EDITING.
Keep up the good work Judge, you have my vote.
Very well said. As always, you have my vote.
You already have my vote–early voting
Blackard is bakrolled by the Democrats. Shame on him and the Dems.
How do you figure? His campaign report lists $187k with the bulk from a few individuals and the most from his father-in-law. How is that being bankrolled by Democrats? This couldn’t be further from the truth. Blackard is a republican, and his primary voting record demonstrates the same. His supporters are also primarily republicans.
JTF, do you have a link to the campaign report that you can share with us?
Post your email Joe I will be happy to email you a copy of his report.
All 5 of them?
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This has to be given the award for Most Ridiculous Post in CCO History!
Tea for everyone!
Blackhard is serving.
I hear that Blackard is ahead by 5 percentage points.
Could this be true?
yes if he paid for the poll
Blackard’s signs and media are being funded by his father in law, Steve Becker. But campaign finances aside, why should we give up the proven success of Niemeier for the inexperience of Blackard? I will be voting for Niemeier.
Some of you know me and some don’t. I don’t hide behide a screen name. I state only what I personally know as true. My Father (Rev. Phill Hoy) taught me to allways tell the truth so you don’t have to tell a lie to cover up another lie. Yes I work for Judge Niemeier and have been in Law Enforcement for over 30 years. Judge has the best Probation Officer that I have ever seen and the rest of the staff is outstanding to keep up with the case load that Juvenile Court has. I have never seen such streches of the truth and Out right slander of Judge Niemeier by Mr. Blackford. As Dad would say “God may forgive you but I can’t”. I ask everyone to check the record and then you will have no dought as to Vote for Judge Niemeier as I will.
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