Elect Ruppenthal

Elect

Ruppenthal

As some citizens may be aware,

several changes have been made to enlarge the

jurisdictional limits of the Magistrate Court.

While the

Magistrate Court is what most people call the "small

claims" court, the new jurisdictional changes make

this court a much more critical court than it previously

has been. In addition to hearing evidence on search

warrants, arrest warrants, setting bonds, and trying

minor criminal cases, the Magistrate Court now has

jurisdiction over claims for amounts up to $15,000,

instead of the former $5,000 limit. Since $15,000 is

really not a "small claim" for most people,

this means that it is more important than ever to have

qualified judges serving our Magistrate Courts.

Many people

do not realize that the law still does not require

Magistrate Court judges to be attorneys. This is an

outdated system that is a holdover from a time in which

there were not enough qualified attorneys to serve in all

of our courts.

I am

pleased to see, however, that this year in the upcoming

July 18 nonpartisan Magistrate Court election, that the

citizens of Fayette County have the choice to elect a

highly qualified local attorney for the position of

Magistrate Court judge, Post 3. Robert "Bob"

Ruppenthal has announced his candidacy for this position.

He is a

practicing attorney who has tried cases in all of the

local courts as well as courts in surrounding counties.

Bob has practiced both civil and criminal law. He has

served as the president of the Fayette County Bar

Association in 1998. He has acted as the temporary judge

of the Fayette Juvenile Court on several occasions, and

he has shown himself to be a man of integrity and

excellent character in all of his endeavors, whether

professional or personal.

As an

attorney who has tried cases in magistrate courts, I know

first-hand how critical it is for the judges to know the

law and to have had experience themselves as attorneys in

the court system.

As we enter

the new millennium, I hope the citizens of Fayette County

will take advantage of this opportunity for a fresh

start, rather than allowing themselves to be stuck with

the outdated system, and will elect someone who has

actually practiced law and can provide the highest

quality of service at the Magistrate Court level.

Bob

Ruppenthal is most decidedly the best choice for the Post

3 position. Take note and go vote!

Kathy

Brown Valencia

Peachtree City