Baptism in the Little River

Sundays are for church and family. Today Sam and I headed to the Little River near Walland to sit in the shallows and throw rocks and catch crawdads in the early afternoon heat. Soon after we'd settled in to our spot in the middle of the river and caught our first crawdad a congregation gathered on the bank. We could see the women in their Sunday clothes and the children milling about and hear bits and pieces of the guitars playing and the preaching and singing. But "Amazing Grace" does carry right over the water so we sang along and headed back towards the bank to join in rather than observe. We made it just in time to catch a young deacon who slipped and fell in the current on his way to assist with the baptism and just in time to see the sheer joy of an entire family baptized. The Lord does work in mysterious ways his wonders to behold. The congregation took us in and blessed us. I know there is a mighty heart to the people who live in this place and we are all blessed to join in whenever we can.

Should you be on a Jury if you are over 65 years of age?

Another minor problem in our local legal system has been the automatic exclusion of persons over 65 from the jury pool. The result was that younger less experienced jurors not fairly representing a cross-section of our community were deciding important legal business for the rest of us. Would it restore your confidence in the integrity of our legal system, to know that persons over 65 are now being summonsed for jury duty? For me, I noticed the youthful nature of our potential jurors and asked our computer services folks what was going on. It turns out that our County's computers had been programmed to automatically excluded all persons over 65 from jury duty. Yes, you may claim an exemption from the first summons if you are over 65 but an automatic and complete exclusion is not provided for that reason alone. It may be an inconvenience for Judges and Clerks to sort through those who are over 65 and identify those who continue to be ready willing and able to serve but it's surely worth the effort to restore the wisdom of our somewhat older citizens to our juries.

Independence Day

I haven't been able or willing to keep up with the bad press this past month. Most recently, Joel Davis' Daily Times article: "Judge Under Judicial Conduct Review" with the bad photo my wife took of me in our front yard was troublesome. Like most folks I read the headline, saw the bad photo, and concluded: "Now that is a criminal if ever there was one." Wait a minute that's me you're talking about.

Does anybody care about the truth. My opponent in this judicial race has one thing right, judges are not supposed to say anything which would cause the public to lose confidence in the integrity or impartiality of the Judiciary. The only problem is he is standing behind the very persons who are engaging in a smear campaign on his behalf. I haven't seen my opponent clamoring to get to the front of the line and correct one single lie. Where is the integrity in that? I have been personally attacked enough. The lies from other judges and the lawyers who most benefit from maintaining the status quo have gone far enough. I am one judge who is independent from other public officials and lawyers and I will tell the truth.

Let's start with my October 2007 Order regarding the 202 defendants whose warrants or indictments had been waiting to be served for over a year, whose names had not been logged into the Clerk's Bridge Computer system and who weren't even being passively sought by having their names and information logged into the National Crime Information Center. Would anyone besides me consider that a backlog of unresolved cases in the Criminal Division of Circuit Court? Would my opponent or other judges think that it was fair or impartial to allow some defendants to go unprosecuted while others go to jail? Doesn't maintaining the confidence and integrity of the public in the judiciary require that each case and each individual defendant be treated the same way.

Faith, Lies & Statistics

When someone lies about you in a public forum it hurts. I've come up with a theory however that political lies force candidates to become both tougher and at the same time suprisingly more religious people. The truth is found only with a power much greater than that which people use when speaking to serve their own purposes.

In my case I'm still hurt that my reputation as a hardworking legal professional was damaged when my political foes published false statistics about my performance as Circuit Court Judge. I have worked hard, tried the hard cases and pushed the docket forward yet my opponents say the opposite. The official Administrative Office of the Courts statistics as of March 31, 2008 say that during my term, 1,189 matters were disposed of in the Criminal Division of Circuit Court while only 1,076 were filed. A net positive to all who can count.

Still the lie has forced me look at more accurately accounting for each case that I've heard since becoming Judge. As a result there will be new numbers and greater proof that I have succeeded in getting the job done. I'm just going to have to take it on faith that the truth really matters and that the voters will look at my performance on the job as a key issue in voting to keep me as their Circuit Judge.

Memorial Day Weekend

This past weekend I escaped to the Great Smoky Mountains and the headwaters of the West Prong of the Little River. If you hike up Bote Mountain trail just past the intersection of Lead Cove trail you can hike off trail down the east side of the mountain to the river and find yourself in a wilderness which seems a million miles from all civilization. Following the stream past the lower and upper Chestnut Falls you eventually reach the spot where people must have lived in the 1930s when this section of the Smokies was last logged. The only signs of people which remain are a few broken pieces of an old cast iron stove. There is no trail, no foundation, no campsite, no people, no plastic. There is only a relatively flat spot in a narrow valley filled with eighty year tall Tulip Poplars and marked by three branches tied with bright orange surveyor's tape. An hour further wading through the rhodedendron, the stream and the bramble you arrive just a half mile further upstream and the wilderness is then pristine. The creek cuts a narrow straight path through the deep forest running down a steady hill among green moss covered stones.

Monkey Business

People with serious jobs don't have time to belittle others because of their political affiliations. The mayor's recent derogatory remarks about democrats on the County Commission have us all thinking he doesn't belong in a leadership position. For me his most revealing remark, however, was his unintended slip in referring to the position in which I serve as "my circuit court judge". No, Jerry, Judges don't belong to you! This County is not your private party. We have over a hundred thousand people with a variety of serious problems and we can't move into the future with a government for a few good ole boys who'll laugh at your jokes.

Robinson Chapel on Howe Street

Last Friday night I found myself walking door to door on Howe Street in Alcoa. If you know anything about law enforcement in Blount County, you know that the Howe Street Park has been the setting for more than one crime story, but do you know about Robinson Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian Church less than a block away? I had visited there before but truly had no idea when my friends pulled me inside the church what the fifth day of a Revival with a dynamite preacher was really like. I cannot accurately capture the rhythm, the music and the Word but let me say that I am further convinced that whatever plans we may think we have God's plans are seldom the same as ours.

Kindness to Children

I met a lady in her seventies at a chinese restraunt who told me a wonderful story about a kind act of my mother while she was teaching 3rd grade in Rockford over sixty years ago. She remembered the class and the times and explained how poor people were then in the 1940s and how one little girl had come to school without shoes eventhough the weather had begun to turn cold. My mom brought in an eigth grade teacher to read to the class and explained to the class that she was going to town and would be back. She took the little girl to town and they returned with shoes and new clothes and the lady telling me the story pointed to me and said: "You see people never forget a kindness to children" and then hesitated for a second and said: "they never forget a meanness either."

That's a true story and some great advice for all of us. We are often better remembered for the little things we do or don't do than those "big" things which weigh so heavily on our minds.

Prayer & Breakfast

I went out to join the brethren at Forest Hill Baptist Church this past weekend for their Saturday early morning breakfast and was awakened with some coffee and a wonderful little prayer. Their minister reminded us of the "unseen guest" at every meal or meeting or gathering of any type. The biscuits and gravy and fellowship were extra good but I for one have kept coming back all week to visualize that unseen guest who watches over us as we meet each other: knowing each of us, loving us in spite of our failings, and smiling at our preoccupation with the things of this world.

Blount County Education Initiative

The Hilton hosted a gathering tonight for a combination of educators, business professionals and community leaders who were present to learn about the Blount County Education Initiative. Two things really sunk in for me. First, this group is dedicated to a forward thinking vision of the educational needs of the children of this community. Let's make sure we do whatever it takes to help our children become productive citizens in tomorrow's global economy. Second, the statistics we have been using to assure ourselves that our children are doing well in school may not be accurate. In fact, some of the statistics offered were down right scary. If over one third of high schoolers are dropping out, not only won't they have decent jobs but quite a few of them will end up in our criminal justice system.

League of Women Voters

This past week the Blount County League of Women Voters sponsored an informative program called "Selecting State and Local Judges: Election, Appointment, or Other Alternatives?" Former State Supreme Court Justice Penny White and Dr. Stephens led the presentation and discussion. When the question nearest and dearest to my heart was asked "How do intelligent voters make a decision about their choice between judicial candidates?" , I noted this reply from Professor White: "Look at the qualifications, the education and the trial experience and look at the character of the individual, their patience and work ethic." The moderators went on to say that comparing and campaigning on partisan politics was in their opinion wrong. "You do not want a Judge who is a Know-it-all; you want a Judge who will defer to the law and not their personal beliefs."

Veterans, Sacrifice and Perspective

Three recent events remind me of the sacrifice that others have made in service to our country and this community. First, I visited the Disabled American Veterans group and was much impressed with their optimism. They are looking forward to a better future for this country while forever joined by the memory of their past sacrifice. My father was a member of that greatest generation of Americans who fought in World War II and returned home to join their spouses in building this country into an economic giant. One of the DAV remembered my dad as a young lawyer in the 1940s. A second event, put me face to face with a man who in 1938 witnessed the deadly violence which accompanied the unionization of the Aluminium Company of America. He was a child and his father was a Union leader and the memories of dynamite bombings, the siege of the Union Hall and the neighborhood men sleeping on his porch to protect his family remain vivid. The pride over his father's bravery is still evident after sixty years. The third event occurred when I recently had the privilege of excusing a young Iraq War Veteran from jury duty for medical reasons. The young man approached the front of the jury pool room ready to serve but still visibly unsteady from the effects of the war. May God bless all of our fellow citizens who show up in service of their country and their beliefs.

The official Blount County Republican Party Website dramatically states that removing me from the Judgeship in which I am so diligently working to serve all of Blount County affects the future. In fact, about beating me, the website says: "Our future depends on it." I am not sure to whom the "our" refers, but I am certain that my working to be fair and impartial in every aspect of a judicial job does not jeopardize anyone's future. My opponent retains his Sessions Court Judgeship if he loses in the election. The County has a more balanced Government if I win and one more lawyer if I lose. Where's the beef? Each time I want to complain about the sacrifice which politics require, I vow to remember those others who have been asked and have given above and beyond the call of duty.

Daughters of the American Revolution

Sometimes we get preconceived notions about people and organizations from the slightest bit of misinformation and never know what we've been missing. Forty some years ago my mom told me that she had been unsuccessful in establishing our ancestral heritage to gain admittance to the DAR. If I remember correctly she traced her side of our family back to the side of the British in the Revolutionary War. In any event this slight bit of childhood information made me believe that the DAR was not the best of organizations. After all these years, I stand corrected.

The DAR is a "non-profit, non-political volunteer women's service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children." I had the good fortune recently to see our local chapter in action giving awards to high school seniors and was much impressed with their mission and meeting. One of the major roles of the organization is to promote the guiding princiles upon which this country was founded. As far as I'm concerned we don't have enough understanding and appreciation for those ideas and any organization which is actively promoting them has to be commended. The beauty and brilliance of our jury system, our constitutional rights and our freedom in this country cannot be celebrated enough. Here's to the DAR and its volunteers for all you do!

Winter Heritage Festival

The Dancing Bear Lodge in Townsend hosted the kickoff reception for the Winter Heritage Festival. The event warmed up in the entrance hall to the majestic lodge with hor douerves that served more like a meal than a snack, and the mingling was followed by a presentation by Bill Landry the host of the Heartland Series. Landry, who seems like the best guy in the world on the tv series, is the same, even better, in-person. The real man has not only true stories to tell of this place and its past, but he also has more wisdom and wit than the television will allow. Plus, he and his wife, who is every bit as charming as her husband, have moved to Blount County. Talk about incentive for this community to move into the future while preserving our past. Heaven forbid Bill and his bride would have to move to Monroe County to find a decent place to live at the foot of the Smokies.

Appreciation

This past weekend I had the privilege of seeing some firstline police work and I came away with a better understanding of just what we ask our officers to do.

"Go out into the midst of trouble wherever and whenever it is found and sort it out! If someone needs to go to jail, you take them; if someone needs to go home, you tell them; if someone is going to get hurt in the process, it very well may be you, so watch out for yourself, your fellow officers and the public who for the most part won't even know you're there."

Thankfully the men and women who do this job like it and have the dedication, judgment and guts to make the rest of us a lot safer in our cars, our homes and our businesses.

Campaign Beginnings

This Saturday amidst their otherwise busy lives, 75 or so of my friends met to begin organizing into 33 precinct committees. Okay, the task of reaching 25,000 or so voters still seems overwhelming, but looking around we had a truly diverse group of talented folks who agreed to do grassroots work way below their pay grade. Looking ahead to the election, we have the common cause of breathing some fresh air into our local government. Please, Grow your committee; Diversify your committee; Report back to Headquarters (681-0553) or email mike@mearesforjudge.com.

Oh yes, one Principle Note, the Campaign has decided to make an ethical statement by not accepting donations from attorneys! The mark of a good judge is one who will rule against his former lawyer friends when they are wrong and rule for his former rivals when they're right. Don't take this the wrong way. I'm the son of a lawyer, married to a lawyer, nobody loves lawyers more than me, but the public needs to understand that justice isn't for sale to the lawyer who contributes the most to the judge's campaign.

"To remember is good: to act is greater." MLK

Over this past week I visited New Providence Presbyterian Church, DENSO, Fairview United Methodist Church, the MLK Center and Alcoa High. Each location hosted a portion of the movable feast of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Celebration. The food and fellowship were superb at New Providence as always the wholesome center of Maryville community life. DENSO was an impressive lunch for the business community, but the events really picked up the pace at Fairview Methodist where Reverend Jerry Russell delivered a personal story of overcoming racism that had the congregation tearing up and Reverend Colquitt claiming him as secretly a fellow Baptist Minister.

The real stand out of all four events, however, was the interdenominational choir which raised the already high rafters at Fairview and then rocked the gym at Alcoa. We truly have some singing talent in our local churches and it was great to see them sing together. The whole week was a reminder of how well the African American and white communities can work together and sadly somehow a reminder of how infrequently we do.

Rocky Branch Community Center: Bluegrass & Gospel

If you ever want to be reminded about what's great in Blount County, I advise you go to Rocky Branch Community Center in Walland on any Friday night. I went last night with my sixteen year old daughter and two year old son. Rocky Branch offers the best of bluegrass and gospel music in a genuinely friendly atmosphere. The Community Center welcomes musicians to jam in six of the old classrooms of the converted schoolhouse and on the second Friday of each month invites them to perform on the small stage. Admission is free and children are welcome.

The truly wonderful thing about this gathering place is that you have a mix of oldtimers whose families have been in Blount County forever and newcomers who have come for the music. I met one man who has moved here from California and was just plain happy that he could walk around with his banjo around his neck. He proudly introduced me to his son who seemed as enthusiastic about the experience as his dad. I also met a CPA who recently moved to Townsend and was there with his wife to join in with their guitars. Of course, I introduced myself wherever I could and saw several people I knew and a couple from my church who like so many others just come to enjoy the music.

Whether you are running for election as Judge or just bored with your Friday nights, the friendly mix of the new with the old and some great music make Rocky Branch Community Center a must visit spot in Blount County. Thanks to the good folks who make this Center a truly great gathering place.

The New Year

The holidays are over and like everyone else I'm back to work. The Justice Center appears to have survived the absence of clerks, lawyers and judges without ill effects. While these next three months promise to bring an incredibly hard challenge of taking care of the people's business of trying criminal cases, they also bring for me the personal challenge of laying the groundwork for getting elected on August 7, 2008.

After office hours I'm making calls to the Townsend Voting Precinct on the quest of forming a Committee of Supporters, let's call them "Friends of Mike". One goal is to have 33 separate Committees, one for each and every one of the 33 voting locations in this County. I've already talked with some great folks about their lives and perhaps chatted a bit too long for political purposes. It is truly amazing how interconnected we are with each other, by our backgrounds, our life experiences and by our goals and aspirations. In the process of just a few calls I've identified some new supporters and come up with a new goal.

No Precinct Committee of the "Friends of Mike" should consider itself complete until it has at least one Republican, one Democrat and one Independent. Being a Judge should never be about politics as usual and neither should this campaign.

Please help me make this happen. If you, my friend, are reading this message please email mike@mearesforjudge.com or call 681-0553. Let me know where you vote and I'll put you in touch with the ever growing number of Meares for Judge Supporters in your area. People will best hear the message "Equal Justice for All" when they can see that their neighbors share their aspirations for this campaign and this community.