Thread by @wendi_c_thomas

From left: Incumbent circuit court judges David Rudolph and Mary Wagner; challengers Yolanda R. Kight, Jennifer Mitchell; and incumbent environmental court judge Patrick Dandridge #VIP901 @NAACPMemphis

Do you know what circuit court judges do? (It's OK - I wasn't clear either.)
They handle divorces, auto accidents, wrongful death, breach of contract and some other stuff. @NAACPMemphis
#VIP901 shelbycountytn.gov/223/Circuit-Co…

Q: Can you make a case for cash money bail?
Criminal Court Judge Div. X, District 30 candidate Jennifer Johnson Mitchell says yes, but bails should be more reasonable. Making them more affordable could reduce overcrowding at the jail.

#VIP901

Mitchell's opponent, the incumbent Jennifer Smith Nichols, is not here. If you don't know what she looks like (I didn't), here she is!

Were there any other judicial debates? #VIP901 tsc.state.tn.us/courts/judges/…

Candidates recommending that voters come to court to see how judges are doing. Courtrooms are open. (An exception is @ShelbyJuvenile.)
#VIP901

Just arrived, Michael G. Floyd, a candidate for Circuit Court Judge Division VII, District 30. #VIP901

Challenger Michael Floyd (far right) pooh poohed a Memphis Bar Association poll that favored incumbent Mary Wagner (second from left) #VIP901

Re the criminal court judge race, where Jennifer Mitchel will face Jennifer Nichols. From a July 12 story about this race: Nichols was picked for the bench after serving amid a controversial stretch in the AG’s office... Two complaints named Nichols." commercialappeal.com/story/news/201…

Back to the criminal judge race, where veteran public defender Jennifer Mitchell will face veteran prosecutor Jennifer Nichols. A July 12 @memphisnews profile notes that Nichols served "a controversial stretch" in the AG’s office. commercialappeal.com/story/news/201…

From the story: "Prosecutorial misconduct allegations aimed chiefly at (District Attorney Amy) Weirich surfaced in several cases. Two complaints named Nichols. Tennessee’s Board of Professional Responsibility dismissed both with no charges."

It's my experience that public defenders and prosecutors approach the world very, very differently. Who are the other former public defenders who are criminal court judges here? #VIP901

Circuit Court Judge Division 9, District 30:
Yolanda Kight's campaign page: kightforjudge.com

David Rudolph's campaign page: judgedavidrudolph.com #VIP901

When candidates say that they've gotten the Memphis Bar Association's endorsement, how should I think about that? Because part of me thinks "status quo" and Shelby County doesn't need more of that. #VIP901

Wagner says she was endorsed by @MayorMemphis Jim Strickland and Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner, which is an excellent example of one endorsement cancelling out another. #VIP901

We're taking a break to let the candidates for Shelby County Sheriff get in place. The Democrat is Floyd Bonner and the Republican is Dale Lane. More than a few folks in the audience wearing Lane campaign shirts. #VIP901

Now up: The Democrat Floyd Bonner (left) and the Republican, Dale Lane. No incumbent in this race. #VIP901

In Lane's opening statement, he says the most important thing is his Christian faith.

Is he a Paula White Christian or a Rev. William Barber Christian though? #VIP901

Q: Do you support the end of the memorandum of agreement that the @ShelbyJuvenile entered into with the Department of Justice?

Bonner: The sheriff's department has made great strides. "It doesn't take the DOJ for me to do right by children."

Lane: I believe that good things can come from oversight. References the federal oversight of the Shelby County jail. Is a fan of the juvenile assessment center.

@joshspickler question was a yes-no question and neither candidate answered the question. HUGE FAIL. HUGE BIG FAIL.

Josh redirects and they both say no.

Q; What do you say to people who, like settlement coordinator Paul Summers, that Shelby County doesn't have a race problem?

Lane doesn't really answer, but says: "Are we giving our very best to the most vulnerable in our community?"

His cheering section cheers.

Bonner (son of a MPD officer): Yes, Memphis has a race problem. It's been a problem since at least 1968 when MLK was killed. Says we should sit down as a community and have tough conversations about race.

Watch the livestream here: livestream.com/accounts/14054…

On the race question, Lane did say that we can't stick our heads in the sand.

The sheriff's department, as part of the agreement with the DOJ, took over the juvenile detention center from @ShelbyJuvenile, which was over-using restraints and failing to protect kids from self-harm.

I wrote today about Shelby County's repeated tries to send the DOJ packing, even though the court continues to discriminate against black children. mlk50.com/shelby-county-…

Bonner keeps referring to 92 percent of the DOJ's provisions that have been met - but he has to be referring just to those provisions that involve the jail, because of the provisions that involve equal protection, less than half of those have been met. #VIP901

Q about the jail population, which is around 3,000.

Lane: Shelby County Jail should be reserved for the most violent offenders, and nonviolent offenders should be released. We must get the population down.

Q: Will you honor the House Bill that requires local law enforcement to hold people for ICE?

Bonner: He's not happy with the bill. says unfortunately they will have to do what feds say. State law requires them to ask about citizenship and notify ICE

Lane: My focus is on violent crime and he'll use every tool available. We're going to treat ICE as we would any other fed agency. Won't be immigration officers because they don't have the resources.

Bonner: If I'm elected as your sheriff, we will not be out arresting people for/on behalf of ICE. We have more pressing issues than separating families. #VIP901

This was the question I was waiting for. I try not to be a single-issue voter, but in the sheriff's race, this is it.

If you cannot unequivocally state that as sheriff, you will NOT cooperate with ICE, then...

Floyd Bonner's campaign page: bonnerforsheriff.com
Dale Lane's campaign page: dalelaneforsheriff.com
#VIP901

Q: Will you end the exploitative contract at the jail with the company that charges detainees obscene rates for phone calls? (I expanded that question)

Bonner: Yes.
Lane: Very indirectly gets close to a yes. Says he'd want to look at renegotiating the contract.

Q: In this #MeToo moment, have either of you have experience with sexual harrassment?

Bonner says he'll address the elephant in the room; says his case was thrown out (?) this week by a federal judge. Lane says he has no personal experience with sexual harrassment.

This is an interesting question - how much should you consider claims that are dismissed/unsustained by the courts? Does it matter how long ago it was? What if the person who made the complaint reconciled with the offender/abuser?

Someone sent me a public document that made some absolutely horrifying allegations against a candidate for public office, accusations made by someone who would know. But the allegations are 20 years old - what's the statue of limitations on that sort of thing? IDK.