To the Editor:
I’m writing on behalf of Derek Durbin, the right candidate for Judge of the Campbell Circuit Court.
Evaluating candidates can be hard, and with judges, it can be especially hard for those who seldom see the inside of a courtroom. So, a word from someone who has spent his entire professional life there.
As a trial lawyer with more than 40 years experience – including decades of prosecution, defense, and civil cases – I’ve appeared in the courtrooms of virtually all of the seventy or so Northern Kentucky judges who have presided since 1977. I know my friend Derek will be among the very best of them.
One of my jury trials happened to be against Derek. It was in Campbell Circuit, the same court for which he’s running. As trials in our system should be, it was hard-fought throughout, with each of us doing everything ethically possible to protect the rights of our client. But when it was over, we shook hands as respected colleagues. One learns a lot about an opponent under those circumstances, and I learned that Derek was exactly the fine person I believed him to be.
Derek will be the first to tell you that he’s not a politician, and for a judge, that’s a great compliment.
Instead he’s a ‘lawyer’s lawyer’. Scrupulously fair. Independent. Smart. Dedicated. Experienced. He has the calm demeanor that personifies judicial temperament, with the capacity to be both firm and compassionate. As a loving father of two, he’ll protect our kids and grandchildren.
Being outside the political buddy system, he owes no favors to anyone, and again, that’s a good thing. He will follow the law, rather than trying to make it up from the bench. There are two types of decisions, which may not always be the same: the politically expedient one and the right one. With Derek, rest assured it will always be the latter.
I’m 99% retired now, so it’s unlikely I’ll ever appear before the winner of this election. I have no personal stake in it, except to see that Campbell County gets the very best judge possible. To help me do that, vote for Durbin.
Robert D. ‘Bob’ Monfort
Alexandria