OK, it's that time again: Any input on the judge candidates?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

Their pitches all sound the same.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. This might help with repect to the 4th District candidates:

http://www.southwestjournal.com/voices/voices/diving-into-the-judicial-races

As to the Supreme Court: I'm sticking with the incumbents, Lillehaug and Wright. Michelle McDonald, who's running against Lillehaug, is a right-wing loon with a drunk-driving problem and without a serious legal resume. Wright's opponent, John Hancock, also sounds a bit dodgy. "Until recently, Hancock, 59, was an agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He doesn't have a campaign website and hasn't registered earnings with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. He said in an email that if elected, he would protect the state's taxpayers' and voters' liberties." http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_26735814/wright-vs-hancock

[question everything]

5. Thanks a lot. This is what I needed (nt)

[Mister Ed]

2. For Supreme Court, it's clear that incumbents Lillehaug and Wright should get our votes.

I've long been favorably impressed with David Lillehaug, and met him once. His opponent, Michelle MacDonald, appears to be a religious-right wackjob. Her campaign website gushes about her enthusiastic reception at the 2014 MN GOP Convention, prominently features an article by Michael Savage, and ominously declares, in all caps, that

WE HAVE INDISPUTABLE EVIDENCE THAT OUR COURT SYSTEMS, OUR SCHOOLS, OUR HEALTHCARE, AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, INSTITUTES AND ENTITIES, HAVE ALLOWED UNSCRUPULOUS ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE IN THE STATE OF MN.

Wilhelmina (Mimi) Wright, a Dayton appointee, is facing an opponent who is perhaps a little more frightening in that nothing much seems to be known about him at all:

http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_26735814/wright-vs-hancock

While Supreme Court Justice Wilhelmina "Mimi" Wright has been engaged in outreach across the state to teach Minnesotans about the court system as she vies for re-election, her challenger, John Hancock, has been elusive.

Hancock did not respond to requests for an interview. He responded by email. He said he grew up in Bemidji, Minn. He did not say when he left Minnesota. He was a special agent in charge assigned to Homeland Security in Grand Island, Neb., but said in a Sept. 22 email that he planned to return to Minnesota in the Brainerd area toward the end of September.

In contrast to these two fringe characters, Lillehaug and Wright have a known track record, and wide respect. The Strib and the Pioneer Press endorse them enthusiastically and persuasively.

[Randomthought]

3. I concur on the Supreme Cort Justices

In the races where I get to vote here are my picks for judges based solely on their endorsements:
Seat 16 Bruce Rivers
Seat 43 Bridget Sulllivan
Seat 53 Bev Benson
Seat 61 Amy Dawson

[mascarax]

6. Agree on Supremes and for Hennepin County contested Judges...

16: Bruce Rivers has a challenge because he's running against an incumbent. (Just a comment for those who may not know - think he's more DU material than the incumbent.)

These are open seats so competitive:

43: Either Sullivan or Paul Scoggin - know people who know him; he's been an active DFLer in the past so leaning toward him. But either is OK (unlike Seat 61).

53: Will go for Benson, based on endorsements too.

61: Definitely Amy Dawson. Bev Aho is running against her and is known GOP with lots of ties, including husband. Plus hasn't been a lawyer very long (website and campaign materials/interview responses are very vague about her experience). Aho pushing she's bipartisan but not true. Dawson is DU material (DFL).

[question everything]

7. Bruce Rivers

Interesting. I've just read all the interviews - most of them - of all the candidates in the Sun Sailor.

And while all the candidates, for all offices, start their reply with either "I" or a general comment like "there is a need," Rivers' replies are in the third person.

"Bruce Rivers has been a practicing trial lawyer..."

"Bruce Rivers will be able to quickly.. manage a caseload.."

Strange..

[progree]

8. question everything - question Bruce Rivers

Rivers, who in July said on WCCO Radio he was dropping out because “just couldn’t take the pay cut, or be relegated to family court for two years.” He’s still posting campaign statements to Facebook, but you don’t get to take that back. The Hennepin County Bar Association poll this fall favored Moore 85-15 percent.

(Quick word about the poll: the response rate — about 1,500 lawyers — just 20 percent of the 8,000-lawyer pool. It’s a smallish, self-selected sample, so take it with a few salt grains.) -SouthWestJournal - http://www.southwestjournal.com/voices/voices/diving-into-the-judicial-races

The two websites:

http://www.riverslawyers.com/
(just where he works, not a campaign website. This is the website given at myballotmn.sos.state.mn.us , his Facebook page which serves as his campaign website, I found to be at:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006041654844
Not all that awe-inspiring, just says he's a great lawyer.

------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.judgejamesmoore.org/endorsements/
Endorsed by all Minneapolis city council members, Mayor Betsy Hodges and former mayor Rybak; Mike Freeman; Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO; ...
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Judge-James-Moore/906799682670275

[mascarax]

11. Good points

I didn't realize the incumbent Judge, Moore, was appointed by Dayton. Just didn't pay that much attention to that race since incumbents hard to unseat.

After I responded, I also searched and found the local paper interviews. Which was off-putting in the 3rd person, certainly giving the impression he's not taking the campaign seriously. Why bother running? But I heard Rivers was visiting a DFL meeting in August, plugging himself, so how strange. Don't know any endorsements.

[progree]

10. DFL District 46 endorsements of Hennepin County judicial candidades

Bold and underlined is their endorsements. Just plain underlining is the other candidate. See the link for the links to websites, and also for their picks for the Associate Justices for the Supreme Court (no surprises there -- Wilhelmina Wright (Incumbent), and David Lillehaug (Incumbent).

4th District Court Judge 16 - James Moore (Incumbent - appointed by Dayton). His opponent, Bruce Rivers, only has a business website listed in his filing. In July Bruce said on WCCO Radio that he was dropping out of the race because he "just couldn't take the pay cut, or be relegated to family court for two years".


4th District Court Judge 43 ((endorses both -Progree)) - this is an open seat and both candidates, Paul Scoggin and Bridgett Sullivan, are qualified and have big name supporters. Their websites are here and here.


4th District Court Judge 53 - open seat -- Bev Benson has a lot of impressive supporters including Walter Mondale and Keith Ellison. Her opponent, Chris Ritts, has former Supreme Court Justice, Sandy Keith's endorsement. Their websites are here and here.


4th District Court Judge 61 - open seat -- Amy Dawson. Is very qualified and experienced. Has been a lawyer since 1992 and tried hundreds of cases. Her opponent, Bev Aho, has been a lawyer only since 2006 and hasn't appeared in court very many times. Aho also has very deep GOP connections as her list of supporters indicates. Those wno know Aho well say she had done a lot of fund raising for Bush. This is a very politicized race and our STRONG recommendation is to vote for Amy Dawson because of Aho's possible political inclinations for the position.

http://dfl46.org/documents/recommended-voting-for-judges.html

[geardaddy]

12. Thanks you!

Just the list I need!

[progree]

9. Who is endorsing Bruce Rivers? I can't find anything. Thanks in advance. NM

Last edited Mon Nov 3, 2014, 06:55 PM - Edit history (1)