Senator Rose charting a new course on magistrate appointments
Our readers know we've not always agreed with Senator Mike Rose, but on the issue of magisterial appointments, which was blown wide open by the man he ousted from the seat in the June primary, we think he's doing the right thing. Instead of picking relatives or political allies to fill the seats, the Summerville Senator announced that he would take applications from interested parties and appointed a committee to review those applications which were submitted:
This early move by Senator Rose offers a constructive idea on how to address this thorny issue - and we think it shows a lot of promise. We hope others look at this experiment and consider how they can reform how magistrates are appointed in their communities.
Rose has appointed a citizens committee to review the applications, conduct interviews with the candidates and receive any other information from police agencies and citizens who use the Magistrates Court.
S. C. Court of Appeals Judge Daniel F. Piper is heading up the Dorchester County Magistrate Merit Selection Committee. Judge Pieper was elected to the Court of Appeals in May, 2007 .... Judge Pieper is joined on the selection committee by Family Court Judge William Wylie, Jr. who was elected to the position of resident judge for the Family Court for the First Judicial Circuit. He is a former Dorchester County Probate Judge.
Other citizen members are Dr. Tim Huber, a dentist who resides in Kings Grant and a retired 22 year veteran of the United States Navy; Ted French, a Coosaw Creek business man and a retired Colonel from the U.S. Air Force; Ernest Moultrie of Summerville who is in charge of Court Security for Dorchester County; Julie Anderson, a realtor for Horne Realty in Summerville and a former resident of Ridgeville, who chaired sister Jenny Horne’s campaign for the State House of Representatives in the June primary; Jim Emery, a resident of the Bridges of Summerville, an 18 year veteran of the New York State Legislature and a retired Colonel from the USAF; and Pegge Schall, an Ashborough resident who is a member of the Dorchester County Zoning and Planning Board and a former Republican Executive Committeeman and President of the Ashborough Precinct.
This early move by Senator Rose offers a constructive idea on how to address this thorny issue - and we think it shows a lot of promise. We hope others look at this experiment and consider how they can reform how magistrates are appointed in their communities.
Mr. Capps, your day is coming and you will get yours. We know your game. We are not fooled.
I don't know about your situation, but I bet if we got enough loud, obnoxiously annoying people to picket about & amongst your situation -- it could only expedite a solution of some sort to your situation.
:)
A magistrate has the power to impose sentences that could and do send people to the Department of Corrections for months and to order judgments of $7500 (with proposed legislation to increase that amount to $15,000).
While I am certain there are some lay-trained magistrates who understand the law, I certainly would not one to impose such sentences without proper vetting by people who actually know the law...just as I would not want my food grown by attorneys or my mechanic to perform dental surgery.
At least one of those panel members was not a Rose supporter and of course the judges are neutral parties, so he's gone out of his way to pick a rather inclusive team with.
But I do get, and support, what Senator Rose is out to do - the appointment process needs to judge the candidates based upon their qualifications.
There is no surprise that the lower the standards of qualifications, the higher the likelihood that the rules the magistrate should follow will be bent, broken and/or disregarded.
You know, that glass ceiling separating the cronies and their brand of readily-dispensed judicial favors -- and that brand of crappy lip-service-justice the rest of us get?
Even the counter people at Hardees [which SOMEBODY seems compelled to always mention] administer what they administer FAIRLY.
KUDOS TO SENATOR ROSE AND MR. EARL!