Race for Superior Court judgeship already heating up

By DAVID SIMPSON
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/02/08

It did not look like much more than a social event, but a Monday evening gathering on the Decatur Square is part of something that in Georgia amounts to an audacious political insurgency: an attempt to topple an incumbent Superior Court judge.

Even before he held Monday's kickoff reception, challenger Tom Stubbs had served notice that his challenge to Judge Linda Hunter may not be a run-of-the-mill judicial campaign. In late May, Stubbs distributed a fund-raising letter. The first supporter on the letterhead: former Gov. Roy Barnes.
The campaign, which will last until the November general election, also already shows signs that the candidates will speak frankly about each other — rather than the résumé-reading that often characterizes judicial elections.

Stubbs, a Decatur lawyer, says Hunter lets her emotions get the better of her judgment, particularly in family law cases. Hunter replies that lawyers and clients who lose cases before her sometimes are disgruntled, and she adds Stubbs lacks the experience to step into her job.

In 2006, 49 Superior Court judge incumbents in Georgia won without opposition. Eight incumbents were challenged, and only one was defeated.

Both candidates say they will run primarily on their own records. But the race could get heated on some fronts, including:

Performance: Stubbs says Hunter has made rulings that seem based on "preconceived ideas and non-legal concerns."

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