E-mail interview conducted with Probate Court Judge candidates Christy Johnson Anderson (Incumbent), John Carpenter, and Doug Grammer. First of twelve Q&A’s scheduled before the July 31st vote.

LU: What is your full name, and what name do you generally go by?

ANDERSON: Christy Lynn Johnson Anderson, Christy J. Anderson

CARPENTER: John Wesley Carpenter, I go by John.

GRAMMER: Douglas Edward Grammer, Doug

LU: What is your age?

ANDERSON: 39

CARPENTER: 59

GRAMMER: 46

LU: What is your address? (We will only publish the street, not your house number.)

ANDERSON: [redacted] Trion Hwy LaFayette, GA 30728

CARPENTER: [redacted] Bandy Estates Road/Lafayette, 30728

GRAMMER: (prefer not to have street, but you can find it if you look. The reason not to give this information is that there are some strange people out there.) Rock Spring, GA

LU: How can voters contact you or stay in touch with your campaign? (Please include info like e-mail, phone, Facebook, Twitter, etc. if applicable.)

ANDERSON: Phone: Cell 423-421-7037, work 706-638-2852,
Fb: Christy Johnson Anderson for probate judge, Christy Johnson Anderson
Email: wcsd674@aol.com, probate@walkerga.us, AndersonForProbateJudge@aol.com

CARPENTER: Home phone – 706-639-9467 or email jwcarpenter@windstream.net

GRAMMER: Doug@GrammerforJudge.com is the best way.

LU: How long have you lived in the county, and (if applicable) where else have you lived?

ANDERSON: 39 years

CARPENTER: My parents were in the Navy, I was born in Illinois and we lived in several places until 1965 when we moved back to my mother’s hometown of Chickamauga, Ga. I have lived in Walker County for 40 years total. I also lived in Dade County for 1 year, in Rome, Ga. for 1 year and 9 years in Chattanooga, Tn.

GRAMMER: I have lived in the Rock Spring area since 1975 with the following two exceptions: I spent six months in Alabama for business reasons and two years in Tennessee while going to UTC.

LU: What’s the best thing about living in this community?

ANDERSON: I love our community because we are small enough to know each other on at least a first name basis and even if not, when someone is in need, we come together as one to support one another. Our love of God and of each other makes our community unique. So blessed to be a part of it.

CARPENTER: The people and the beautiful mountain location.

GRAMMER: This county is made up of several different communities. The people in Chattanooga Valley are different from the people on Lookout Mountain. The people in Rossville are different from the people in LaFayettte. The people in Rock Spring are a little different than those in Chickamauga. Each community has a rich flavor with something unique in each one. The county as a whole is diverse and that is what makes it special. You can travel 10 minutes in just about any direction and meet people with slightly different outlooks than where you were before.

LU: Starting as early as you want, what kind of education do you have?

ANDERSON: Graduated LaFayette High School 1991, Attended Jacksonville State University and Dalton College for Accounting, University of Georgia’s Institute of Continuing Judicial Education for over 240 hours of Judicial Training

CARPENTER: I attended Gordon-Lee High School in Chickamauga and graduated in 1972. I attended Dalton Jr. College and received an Associate of Arts degree, then completed my education at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. I graduated there in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree.

GRAMMER: A long one. I’ll start with Rock Spring elementary School, proceed to LaFayette middle school, graduated from LaFayette High School, and have attended the following: Berry College, Dalton College, NW Technical College, UTC and have a degree in Economics. I think life has taught me a variety of lessons and not all of those have been in a classroom.

LU: Is Probate Judge your only job or do you have another occupation? (Anderson only)

ANDERSON: Only occupation

LU: What is your current occupation? (All except Anderson)

CARPENTER: I am currently a Deputy Sheriff with the Walker County Sheriff’s Office. I have been there for the last 21 years.

GRAMMER: I am a full time candidate for Probate Judge, and I also own Grammer Enterprises LLC. My LLC owns property that is on a lease to own purchase agreement.

LU: What previous jobs or elected positions have you held?

ANDERSON: The Bank of LaFayette 1992 to 2001

CARPENTER: I have not held an elected position. I worked for Walker State Prison. I worked as an office for Rome Police Dept. in Rome, Ga. I worked at Sequoyah Nuclear Plant as a Security Officer. I worked at Catoosa County Sheriff’s Dept. and Dade County Sheriff’s Dept.

GRAMMER: I was the Walker County Commissioner nominee in 1996. At the age of 32, over 7,000 people thought I was ready to handle an 18 million dollar budget and about 300 employees. At 46, I can handle a staff of four.
I have been elected to several political offices, but no public ones. I am working on that.
I spent ten years in the mortgage industry. The last few were a few too many. I have spent ten years in the automotive industry in a variety of positions including sales, internet sales, and finance. I spent several years in the construction industry both in the office and out in the field. I know what it is like to do hard labor.

Judge Anderson was appointed to complete the unfinished term of retired judge Foye Johnson – her mother. None of the Probate Judge candidates, including the incumbent, have ever been elected to any position. Only Grammer has run for office before, winning the Republican primary for Walker Commissioner in 1996 but losing the final race to Democrat Buddy Chapman. He also contemplated (but did not attempt) a run for Public Service Commission and served as chair of the Young Republicans. The “political offices” he refers to were all party positions.

LU: Do/will aspects of your education or job experiences make you a better judge? If so please explain.

ANDERSON: No better teacher than job experience, without question the experiences I have had since I began working at the Probate Court have made and prepared me for the Judgeship.

CARPENTER: Yes, I feel that they will. My college major was Psychology and with a minor in Sociology and I feel this gives me a better understanding of people. My law enforcement career has given me hands-on experience in dealing with disputes in estates, guardianships and the mishandling of guardianships. It has given me a realist perspective of what people have to deal with in these matters. My job as a deputy has taught me good decision making skills and how to be an effective mediator.

GRAMMER: I think real world experiences, private sector experiences, give me a different perspective from candidates who have only worked for the government for the last ten years.

LU: Several have asked us exactly what the Probate Court Judge does. In your own words, please explain the duties of this position.

ANDERSON: The duties of the Probate Judge are many. We issue marriage license, weapons carry license, fireworks permits, peddlers’ license, blasting permits, certify residency affidavits, record branding of horses, appoint processioners for boundary line disputes, administer oaths to public officials, fill vacancies in certain elected positions, and approve bonds of elected officials. We are judicial officers, we hear cases, render decisions, and issue orders. Our court is a court of records under Georgia law. We have exclusive original jurisdiction in matters concerning administration of estates of deceased persons, appointment and monitoring of guardians and conservators of minors, incapacitated adults, missing persons, permanent and temporary guardians of minors, determination of the presumption of death of missing persons, the court-ordered sterilization of developmentally disabled females at risk of pregnancy, court-ordered evaluations of someone believed to be in need of help for mental illness or addiction, determine the funeral arrangements for a deceased person whose family is in irreconcilable disagreement over the issue, determine whether life-sustaining treatments should or should not be terminated for a person incapable of making an informed decision. I am not an Article 6 Probate Court; therefore the probate judge is both the finder of fact and the determiner of the law in all contested cases. A formal, recorded hearing is required by law in all adult guardianship/conservatorship cases. Decisions made in estate and adult gdn/cons cases can significantly impact family members, family factions, charitable foundations, and heirs at law. There is no amount or value limit on the jurisdiction of the probate courts in these cases. The probate judge makes the decision of what rights are removed from the ward as well. This is not all the probate judge does, but I think I have listed enough.

CARPENTER: The Probate Judge handles issuance of marriage licenses, fireworks permits and firearms permits. They handle probating of wills, grant guardianships and do affidavits of committal.

GRAMMER: The majority of the probate judge’s office deals with wills and estates and the proper settlement of those. Gun permits, marriage licenses, and even the fireworks permits are issued through the office. Guardianships are also dealt with. In some other counties, but not in Walker, Probate Judges hold traffic court.

LU: During your time as judge, what would you consider to be your greatest accomplishment? (Anderson only)

ANDERSON: My greatest accomplishment as an individual is my salvation and being a mother. With that, my greatest accomplishment as Judge is being able to have the knowledge and compassion to help each person that comes in the office, no matter what their need is. When they leave with their problem solved, I have done my job.

LU: What would you say is the greatest accomplishment of the sitting Probate Judge, and is there anything your opponent has done during her time as judge that you intend to emulate? (All except Anderson)

CARPENTER: I am not aware of any major accomplishments that she has made.

GRAMMER: I haven’t spent any real time in her office so I won’t speculate on what type of job she has actually done. She has told me that she has an open door policy and I would hold the same. The final motivating factor that prompted me to run was I fact that I asked for a meeting with the other two candidates and neither could meet with me. Judge Anderson said she would, but cancelled. I left the message that I would be available on Tuesday nights and on Wednesdays. She told me that she got the message that I would reschedule. This is a life lesson for her. If someone highly motivated wants to meet with you, you need to find out what is on their minds. I decided that I would not get a responsive office holder with the other two candidates. I spent some time searching for others to run before I decided to run. I am just trying to help Walker county get the best government it can get.

LU: Is there anything from your time as a judge that you regret or wish you could do differently? (Anderson only)

ANDERSON: Nothing

LU: What would you say is the biggest failure of the sitting judge, and what actions of your opponent would you have done differently? (All except Anderson)

CARPENTER: In speaking to people in the community, several have voiced their complaints that the current Judge took too long to settle estate disputes. I realize how upsetting estate disagreements can be for a family and I plan to try to settle issues in as timely a manner as possible.

GRAMMER: I have heard a lot of hearsay, but that is not admissible as evidence. She has told me that there is not enough funding for an assistant judge after a grant did not come through. The time needs to be set aside to find a new grant, or we may need to look at all of the expenses of the office to see if there are areas to trim the budget. I will follow all the laws of Georgia and all of the cannons from the Judicial Qualifications Commission including the avoidance of the appearance of impropriety and no nepotism or favoritism.

LU: What are your priorities for the next four years if you’re elected/reelected?

ANDERSON: To continue to run the office to the high standards we have experienced and continue to experience.

CARPENTER: If elected, one plan I would like to implement is to open my office for one Saturday per month to give working people a chance to conduct their business without having to miss work. Since a large part of our community works at Roper or Shaw they cannot get off work on week days without a penalty. I will also work with the Sheriff’s Office to try and arrange procedures for Saturday fingerprinting that is needed for gun permits. Depending on the response, I would consider opening a second Saturday as well. I am sure other issues will become priority once I am in office and find out more about the current processes being used.

GRAMMER: I’d like to investigate what types of steps need to be taken to make for of our public data available online. This may require cooperation of our legislators and clerk of court. It has been suggested that the office stay open one Saturday a month. This might require a change in the law and further investigation may reveal that it may not. I have been told that the office cannot stay open more than five days a week as the law is currently written. Closing it on a Wednesday to keep it open on a Saturday may work. I would also like to see a monthly or bi-monthly forum on aspects of writing and changing a will. I would call upon local lawyers to host the forum.

LU: Is there any criteria, philosophy, or overall guideline you use / will use when deciding cases?

ANDERSON: Contested estate cases must be decided on the facts of each case pursuant to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.

CARPENTER: I am a person of integrity and I will make ethical, legal decisions without prejudice.

GRAMMER: I will follow the law as it is written regardless of any personal philosophy I may hold. I won’t hold any favoritism for or any biases against anyone. Where I have discretion, I will apply as much commonsense and fairness as possible. I firmly believe that government should be a servant of the people and that government employees should treat every citizen as their boss. I am a consistent conservative. I didn’t have to decide which party primary I should run in.

LU: Do you feel that law enforcement agencies, judges, and prosecutors are held properly accountable under existing state laws, or are reforms needed in those areas? If so what reforms would you like to see put into place?

ANDERSON: I can only speak of the Probate Court, and the only reform I would suggest is that for election purposes, the Probate Judgeship should be listed as non-partisan and not as a political party and that there should be some required qualifications to run other than just age and residency requirements in counties of less than 96,000. The JQC keeps Judges accountable for their actions of wrong doing.

CARPENTER: I feel that the current state laws are sufficient.

GRAMMER: I think this is a question more for someone running for the state legislature. I can tell you what I think, but a legislator would have more power to do something about it. I think there is a little incumbent protection under the current rules for electing judges. Challengers must use the word “elect” or “vote for” on their yard signs and incumbents don’t have to do so. I think the idea is that a candidate should not try to pretend to be something that he is not. Putting up “12 years experience” on a billboard is misleading in my opinion. Sure, someone may have worked in an office for 12 years, but they doesn’t mean that they have been a judge for 12 years. I could put up “46 years experience” on campaign literature because I’ve been around 46 years, but I think that would be misleading, so I wouldn’t consider doing that.

LU: You are the only candidate for Probate Court judge with judicial experience or a background in law. How important is that experience to being a good judge? Is it possible that being judge and assistant judge for the last ten years has disconnected you from the way average people work and live? (Anderson only)

ANDERSON: Experience as Judge and a clerk for the Probate Court without question is the best way to learn about the law and how compassionate one must be in this court. You can read the law all day long, but until you “put it into play” you do not have full understanding. Many practicing attorneys do not understand Probate Law. It’s a hands on case by case, day by day learning experience.
As far as being disconnected, absolutely not. My desk is in the front office where the public enters the office. I wait on customers and answer the phone just as my Clerks. My job is to serve the people of this county. I am not above anyone just because I have a title. I don’t drive a fancy car nor live in a luxury home. I shop at Wal-Mart and the Dollar General like most everyone else. I volunteer at the schools, civic clubs, and my church. Nothing about being a Judge places me better than anyone else. Most people do not know that I am a Judge. I am Christy!

LU: You are running for Probate Court Judge with no judicial experience or legal training. Do you consider a background in law of any importance to being a good judge? Does your real-world experience give you a better connection with the way average people work and live? (All except Anderson)

CARPENTER: While I feel legal training is important, I also feel that my law enforcement background will help me greatly to be a good judge. It has given me insight into people’s everyday lives, people of every kind at every level. I have dealt with guardianships for inmates while working in the jail. I have seen firsthand how important this can be for the children involved. I have seen the abuse of guardianships if the wrong person has been placed in that position. I have had to get DFCS or Adult protective services involved in situations where this has occurred. I have seen the greed and anger that comes up in people when a family member passes. I have answered calls to funeral homes and cemeteries to settle arguments and family disputes over properties. All this gives me a big insight into the reality of people and how they are affected by the decisions made by the Probate Judge. I think I do have a connection with average people which will be a major factor in my decision making. I will treat everyone fair and honest.

GRAMMER: The law is written to allow non-lawyers and non-law enforcement to run. People decide to vote for candidates for a variety of reasons. Some people are grateful that someone asked for their vote. Others make like the color of a yard sign. Still others may vote for a person because they are friends.
Actually, I have had some judicial experiences. I’ve sued and I have been sued. I’ve represented myself on some occasions and on others I have retained an attorney. I’ve won some cases and lost a few, but I have definitely prevailed much more often than I have lost. I’ve never been convicted of anything more serious than a traffic violation, and no, I have not had a DUI.. I heard some funny things about myself in 1996. I know the rumor mill is working now and that just means others are scared that I will do well. I appreciate that I live in a country where we can use the legal system to settle grievances.
Of course knowing about the law should help someone be a good judge, but I think actually applying the law as written and not making hurdles that are unnecessary is more important. The law can be learned, but most people are looking for common sense and fairness when looking for someone to run the court. I think being the only candidate who has started a business from scratch, met a payroll, hired people and paid quarterly taxes will be things that the average person will appreciate. Those types of things give me a different perspective than the other candidates.
I think some of my experiences where I haven’t received a paycheck come into play. Being in the Guardian Angels and dealing with people in a variety of circumstances will help with giving perspective on different situations. Being in leadership in the GOP has forced me to be objective and evenhanded while dealing with candidates that I like and candidates that I didn’t care as much for. I had to treat them equally and fairly regardless of my personal feelings, and I think those are attributes people are looking for in a judge.

LU: Does a background in law enforcement or private law practice give a judge better perspective on cases, or could it potentially lead to favoritism and discrimination?

ANDERSON: As far as Walker County Probate, we don’t handle criminal cases like Catoosa and Dade County. We have a State Court that handles that. Therefore, a background in law enforcement wouldn’t give a better perspective on cases in my court. Private Law practice would have a better perspective on cases since they know how to research the law and handle court procedures. The oath taken by the judge prohibits them from favoritism or discrimination.

CARPENTER: I don’t think my background in law enforcement will lead to favoritism or discrimination. As a judge you are held to a higher standard and should put aside all prejudices and make lawful decisions. Judgments are on a case by case basis. It has been my experience in law enforcement to not judge people by what has happened in the past when I am dealing with something in the present.

GRAMMER: There are pro’s and con’s with every type of profession on how they could relate to a new ones. I think it boils down to what type of person do you want in that office. A person could know the world about the law, but if they don’t return a phone call, what good does that do you? I won’t say that only lawyers make good judges. The state legislature agrees with me or only lawyers could run. The same holds true for law enforcement officials. While I respect and appreciate both attorneys and law enforcement officials, the decision of who will run the Probate Court rests in the hands of the voters.

LU: Please summarize in a single paragraph why residents of Walker County should vote for you in the upcoming election:

ANDERSON: Voters of this county deserve a qualified Judge to serve them. I have had the hands on training, the Judicial Training, and nearly 12 years’ experience needed to be a qualified Judge. I serve with honesty, compassion, and commitment. Many decisions that are made by the Probate Judge impacts the lives of the citizens of Walker County and I feel as though the only way to be sure those decisions are made fairly and correct, are to vote for the most qualified person. Out of all the candidates for Walker County Probate Judge, I am the only qualified person for this position.

CARPENTER: I have always respected, admired and appreciated those who serve the people through public office. That is why I had made the decision to run for the office of Walker County Probate Judge. My decision to run was not made lightly. There is great responsibility associated with the Office and I am willing and ready to accept that responsibility. I feel at my age, due to my law enforcement career and my life experiences, I have gained great insight in to making good decisions when it comes to probating wills and appointing guardianships. If elected, I pledge to execute my duties with the greatest degree of legal, moral and ethical values. I believe that a public service position means exactly that – to serve the public. I value the opportunity to serve the community that I have been a part of for most of my life.

GRAMMER: I want the best government possible and if elected I will work as hard to do the job as I have worked to get elected to it. I care about the citizens of this county and I want to be their servant. I want to help solve problems, treat people fairly, and follow the law as written.

LU: Is there anything else voters should know about you? Family, faith, philosophy, inspirations, etc.?

ANDERSON: I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Chris Anderson, for the past 18 years. We have two beautiful children: Summer Anderson 15 and Brady Anderson 12. Both children play sports, so I am always at a ball field year round. I am a member of Second Baptist Church of LaFayette and also serve as the Church Clerk, on the Social Ministry, and the Women’s Ministry. I serve on the LMS Student council, member of the LHS Touchdown Club, member of the Chamber of Commerce, 2011/2012 President of 7th District Probate Judges, and past President of NLE PTO

CARPENTER: I have been blessed with a good wife. My wife, Elaine, and I have been married for 3-1/2 years. We are of the Christian faith. In the beginning of my law enforcement career a supervisor told me “Always remember we are here to help people not hurt them”. I have tried to adhere to that philosophy throughout my life and will always continue to do so.

GRAMMER: I am Pro-Gun, Pro-Life, Pro-Faith, and Pro-Constitution. I’ve been endorsed by Georgia Right to Life. Go to GrammerForJudge.com to learn more about me. I would appreciate your vote.

Based on candidate responses, we feel any of these candidates would be acceptable as Walker County Probate Judge. All three candidates meet the office’s requirements, which are minimal, and seem to have a good grasp on what the position does and how to better serve the community within it.

Based on legal experience we personally lean towards Anderson, but we also notice that she would never have been assistant Probate Judge and likely wouldn’t have been appointed as full judge if the position hadn’t been previously held by her mother.

Carpenter and Grammer seem to be well-rounded in regards to education and life experience, but both lack formal legal training. Grammer also may be settling for less, having lost bigger races in the past. All three candidates seem to be well intentioned and none would do us any harm as Probate Judge.

Walker County Messenger: Christy Johnson Anderson | John Carpenter | Doug Grammer

Elections are now one week away, Tuesday July 31. LaFayette residents will vote at the Walker Co Senior Center, voting locations for other residents vary. Early voting is still being conducted at the Walker County Elections Office in the Courthouse through the end of this week.

THE RULES:

Last week the Underground e-mailed candidates for 12 competitive local races (all except County Surveyor) a series of questions. Candidates who have no opponent on the July ballot were not included; those with opposition in November will be contacted before the November vote.

Candidates were asked to respond to the questions via e-mail by a certain deadline, and were instructed not to share their answers with each other before we made them public. Every candidate in the same race was given the same set of questions except where noted above.

Candidates who did not respond by the deadline have [no response] after their name for each question asked, and candidates who responded but chose to skip certain questions are marked [no response]. Responses received after this point will not be accepted for a full post, but candidates are welcome to add to their responses, answer questions, or respond to our opinions in the comment section below.

Answers are copied directly from e-mail without corrections or changes except for redaction of addresses. Redactions or any editorial clarifications of questions or answers are made in [brackets]. Our thoughts are in italics beneath the responses.

At least one more Q&A, probably two, will be posted tomorrow.

All LaFayette Underground 2012 Election Posts