General Sessions Judge

What exactly do they do?

Let’s be honest, most of only know what judges do from watching Law and Order. If you are old like I am, you also watched Night Court, so you assume that all judges are like Harry and the Bailiff is a large man or a small cigarette smoking, real life version of Thelma from the Simpsons. If you didn’t get the reference, I’m sorry, I really am that old woman reminiscing about how life used to be. But lets’ be real, very few of us understand the importance of choosing a judge. Every time I go to vote, judges are on the ballot, but I have no idea who vote for. Honestly, lately I’ve just not voted for any of them.

A few months ago, Russ Edwards reached out to me and asked if I would sit down with him and discuss his campaign. I was honest, I really didn’t know anything about judges, and I live in Robertson County. Half of my readers (I’m guessing) live on the Sumner side of White House, so I agreed. Edwards was easy to talk to. Not what I expected from a lawyer, and not pushy or condescending like a politician. We talked for over an hour over coffee and I forgot most of what he told me. It really was such a great conversation that I simply didn’t write it down.

As we got closer to the election, I put together a list of questions for Edwards and had him answer them. Here are my questions to Russ Edwards, and his answers.

1. What is the role of general sessions judge?- A general sessions court judge hears both criminal and civil cases. While only misdemeanor charges can be disposed of in General Sessions Court, it can hear preliminary hearings for felony cases. The civil cases can include landlord/tenant disputes, debt collections, and lawsuit for under $25k, and orders of protection.

2. What makes you the “right” choice for the job?- My conservative values make me the right choice, along with my answers to question three. (see #3 below) I plan to be tough on crime, enforce our laws to keep this community safe, and support the Constitution. I also support property owners’ rights and believe that debtors should pay what they rightfully owe to their creditors.

3. What qualifications to you bring to the position?- I have been an attorney in private practice in Sumner County for over 20 years. During that time, I have handled practically every type of case in almost every court in middle Tennessee and beyond. I am currently the Hendersonville City Judge. Our docket is similar to the General Sessions Court.

4. What issues face the court currently that you believe you could change?- As stated above, I would enforce our laws, which means making tough decisions. Bond amounts for those charged with crimes should be set more appropriately, and if someone violates their bond conditions, bond should be revoked. Also, if someone violates the conditions of their probation, probation should be revoked and they should serve their sentence.

5. In 3-4 sentences sum up why you are running for this seat. I am running for this seat because I love serving this community, having lived here my entire life. I believe I can bring my experience and ability to make the right decisions to the bench as general sessions judge in order to keep this community a safe and wonderful place to live, work, and play. Lastly, I believe in the law and I have faith in our legal system with the right judges in place.

Why are bonds an issue with violent criminals, and why do we need judges to do their job? Woman shot by men out on bond after a gun crime. This is a story out of Texas on how many crimes are committed by those out on bond. Here is another one out of Nashville from last summer.

Not sure about you, but I have been following the stories out of Seattle and San Francisco and their crime rates. A few years ago we watched a news special out of Seattle where the police were being interviewed. This was before the CHAZ incident of 2020. The police were lamenting that they would arrest someone on drug charges or violent crimes, only to see them on the streets the next day doing the same thing. The judges were letting them out to commit more crimes. Now they are just changing the definition of crime in those cities and Walgreens and other stores are closing down in record numbers. This is why judges matter.

As for me, I will be paying more attention to whom I’m voting for that sits in the judge’s seat. Russ Edwards is running against Kee Bryant McCormick. I do not know her and she did not reach out to me. As I am a constitutional libertarian, the constitutional Republicans are as close as I can find to me political beliefs. Russ Edwards is a member of the Sumner County Constitutional Republicans. Many of you have been told that they are “far right” extremists. The “establishment” hates grass roots and people that believe in returning to the constitution. It’s hard to continue “business as usual” if you return to following the constitution. The republicans and the democrats want us to continue fighting each other so they can grow their portfolios and tell us how to live.

It is hard to get a real feel for what Edwards is like and what he will do by simply reading his answers to these questions. After meeting with him, I will say he was really straightforward and passionate about what he does. Over the last few years, I’ve met a lot of people in politics. You start to get a feel for the people that are really in love with what they do, and people really in love with themselves. Honestly, we’ve all met that guy that loves his job, and loves to talk about it. That was my conversation with Edwards. Seriously. He sounded like I do when I talk about a wrestling tournament.

Personally, I will continue to meet with and listen to those running for office. I appreciate being educated on what the various roles are in our local government. I appreciate Edwards reaching out to me and explaining what it is he does and would like to do. I encourage you to do the same.

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