Fulton County State Court: New judge faces challengers
October 16, 2008 at 4:51 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsJust six months after being appointed to the bench, Fulton County State Court Judge Susan Edlein faces two opponents in the General Election: Clayton County Senior Assistant District Attorney Anece Baxter White and former Fulton County Juvenile Judge Wanda L. Dallas. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the votes, a runoff will be held Dec. 2.
Edlein, who left a job with Holland and Knight, a big civil-lawsuit firm, to accept the bench position, is backed by some of the city’s biggest politicos, including Mayor Shirley Franklin, state Senators David Adelman and Kasim Reed, and state representatives Stacy Abrams, Kathy Ashe, and Ed Lindsey. The court hears criminal cases below the grade of felony, as well as civil actions.
Edlein says her experience in a private law firm and work with businesses and commercial litigation has helped her preside over the similar cases in State Court.
Baxter White, a former army lawyer, serves in the Clayton County District Attorney’s office. She says she’s the sole candidate who’s argued before the state Supreme Court, and says she’s never had a case overturned on appeal.
Dallas is a former trial lawyer and judge who also taught civil and criminal litigation at Georgia State University. She says the court must process misdemeanors effectively to help maintain public safety and the quality of life for residents — think marijuana possession and DUIs. She also wants to implement an electronic filing system to cut costs and streamline operations.
Check out CL’s 2008 Voter’s Guide and add your comments to races you care about. It continues to be updated, and on Oct. 21, come back to find a handy cheat-sheet to guide to the voting booth.
October 20th, 2008 at 8:42 am
As an avid reader of Creative Loafing and constant viewer of creativeloafing.com I was greatly dismayed to see such a bias in the review of the Fulton County State Court Judge’s race. Instead of commenting on my qualifications, the paper chose unfairly to focus on the problems of the Clayton County DA’s office. The “Loaf” chose to use information gathered from the websites of candidates as an introduction to your readers. Great idea. However, I was the only candidate to whom you added comment, based on the alleged actions of the office I serve and not my qualifications.
Research would have concluded that I worked for both the former and current district attorneys and that although I argued the case that you referred to in your article, I was not the assigned attorney to the case. I have tried numerous misdemeanor and felony cases to include a death penalty case. This is an important qualification if you are going to preside over cases, the majority of which are criminal.
When I was commissioned as an Army officer, I took an oath to uphold and protect the U.S. Constitution and its citizens. Likewise, when I was sworn in as an Assistant District Attorney, I took an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution of the State of Georgia and its citizens by ensuring that justice prevailed regardless of leadership. The Army teaches selfless service which allows one to focus on mission not personalities.
As reporters are known to check their sources, I would encourage you to confirm the statement that no other candidate for this position has argued before the Supreme Court of Georgia and that I have never had a case that I tried overturned on appeal.
I respect the right of persons to have an opinion, but as a paper that proposes to put out a Voter Guide, I would expect the opinion to be balanced and fair especially where no comprehensive research is conducted. I am committed to and have practiced fairness throughout my career and if elected would bring that same commitment to fairness to the bench. Citizens require it, and deserve it.
On the other hand, this is Creative Loafing and you have the right to be as biased as you want in your writings. I should know since as a service member I defended that right, and will continue to do so.
Anece Baxter White
Candidate for State Court Judge
October 20th, 2008 at 11:43 am
I appreciate your service. And you’re right — this is about the race that you’re running. I’ve omitted the sentence. In regards to your comment about arguing before the state Supreme Court and never having a case overturned on appeal, that was learned from your responses to the League of Women Voters.
October 22nd, 2008 at 11:01 am
Thank you Mr. Wheatley. I appreciate the service you provide to your readers.
November 3rd, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I am Susan Edlein, and I am a Judge on the State Court of Fulton County. I have the experience and expertise to do the job, and I have been doing it well, as demonstrated by a recent Atlanta Bar Association poll in which lawyers were asked to judge the qualifications of the candidates for this race–97% of the lawyers who selected a candidate as “Best Qualified” chose me. I ask for your vote to keep me on the bench and allow me to continue serving the Court and our community.
I am honored to be supported by many of our elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans. I was appointed to the bench by Gov. Sonny Perdue, and I am also supported by former Gov. Roy Barnes, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, and Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders. For more information about me, please see my campaign website: http://www.judgesusanedlein.com.
As a State Court Judge, I preside over civil lawsuits and misdemeanor criminal cases. Before becoming a judge, I was a litigation partner at Holland & Knight LLP, one of the largest law firms in the country. I spent more than a decade representing individuals, small businesses and corporations in a variety of cases, including personal injury, product liability, fraud, contract disputes, and complex commercial litigation. Other attorneys recognized my accomplishments as a lawyer, and I am honored to have been named one of the Legal Elite by Georgia Trend Magazine, a Legal Eagle by Atlanta Woman Magazine, and a Rising Star by Georgia Super Lawyers. After an intensive interview and vetting process, I was appointed to the bench earlier this year to fill a vacancy.
Our State Court needs a Judge with a strong civil litigation background and practical case management skills, particularly as my docket includes all asbestos personal injury cases filed in the State Court of Fulton County; these are complex cases, often involving wrongful death claims. These cases require a judge who is proactive and understands the complexities and case management aspects of these lawsuits. I am the most qualified person for this position, particularly as I am the only candidate with extensive practical civil litigation experience, and the majority of my work load on the bench involves civil rather than criminal cases.
I am an Atlanta native. I attended Henderson High School in DeKalb County. I graduated from law school at the University of Virginia after obtaining my bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina. After returning to Fulton County, I immediately began volunteering in our community in a variety of ways, including forming a non-profit to encourage responsible development along the Ponce de Leon corridor and working with elementary school children on mock trials. As the child of an elementary school principal, I learned at an early age that I have an obligation to work to make a difference in our community. As the mother of three young children, I take this obligation to serve seriously. That is why I left a successful career in private practice to become a judge.
I know that each case is important, and I work hard to ensure that every case is tried fairly and efficiently and that all parties and attorneys are treated with respect in my courtroom. It is an honor to serve as one of your judges, and a responsibility that I do not take lightly. I ask that you vote to keep Judge Susan Edlein.
Judge Susan Edlein