Tuesday, May 21 is Primary Election Day in Georgia. Connect Savannah has been recently providing expanded local coverage of many of the races.

Rufus Friday, the publisher of Connect Savannah, says of the publication’s local election coverage, “we are committed in expanding our local election news coverage to help, in better informing and engaging our community in the election process. This is crucial for voters as it ensures they have access to accurate, comprehensive information, empowering them to make informed decisions at the polls.”

During early voting, 9,167 people cast their votes in Chatham County. That number represents 3.96 percent of registered voters. While those early voting numbers are low, the good news is that there are 221,852 people in Chatham County who are still eligible to vote tomorrow.

Senator Ben Watson says that today he is, “serving constituents, going to a Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) public forum and information session on the Talmadge Bridge tonight. But also, waving signs. And will continue to communicate with voters.”

Like Watson, other candidates are doing the work of their constituents, such as Savannah Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) school board representatives, Denise Grabowski and Michael Johnson, who both participated in high school graduation ceremonies this week.

Both Grabowski and Johnson took time to participate in the forum debates Sunday livestreamed by Connect Savannah.

Watch all three sessions of the May 19 school board forum on Connect’s Facebook page.

Grablowski says: “I have supporters making phone calls and canvassing, since I will be participating in high school graduation ceremonies, including Savannah Arts Academy tonight at 5 pm.”

Johnson says of his schedule, “After New Hampstead High School’s graduation, I am going to be door knocking, making phone calls, and visiting constituent homes.”

“On Election Day, I will continue making phone calls while I travel around the district waving signs and making sure all of my volunteers are hydrated and thank them personally for their efforts throughout this process. Then, at 7:30, we will be gathered at Green Fire Pizza (Pooler), so I am able to thank more volunteers and supporters as we watch the results come in.”

Shalena Cook Jones says, “As the current District Attorney, we are dedicated to balancing our ongoing responsibilities with our campaign efforts. We will continue to hit the phones, reaching out to constituents to hear their concerns and earn their support. While we campaign, our commitment to upholding justice and effectively serving our community remains unwavering.”

Her opponent, Jenny Parker, also on the Democrat ballot, says, “We are canvassing and phone banking to get voters out to the polls. We feel a lot of momentum, and want to keep it going through Election Day.”

The two candidates for the nonpartisan judicial race for Superior Court are also busy during the final stretch of the campaign.

Frank Pennington says, “My campaign has been dedicated to the people of Chatham County. We will keep reaching out to its citizens to get out the vote – knocking on doors, making phone calls, thanking our supporters, and asking the people for their vote. I’m also spending time celebrating my family, including attending my son’s sixth grade award ceremony at STEM Academy this morning. Without them, I couldn’t do any of this work.”

Chris Middleton was at a Kindergarten graduation Monday. He says that he will be, “making phone calls and visiting residents in the home stretch of the campaign trail.”

One of the county wide elections on ballot for Chatham voters is Magistrate Court judge to replace the outgoing Judge Michael Barker.

“Magistrate Court is known as the People’s Court because people and businesses do not need attorneys to have a case heard,” says Alicia Shillington, a Chatham County voter who participated in early voting.

“Magistrate Court judges are responsible for handling a large volume of cases each year. The vast majority of these cases are civil, not criminal. Common issues heard in this Court are landlord-tenant disputes, contract disputes, recovery for personal injuries and property damage.”

Connect Savannah asked the candidates questions just ahead of Primary Election Day.

KATIE BREWINGTON

Connect Savannah: What experience makes you the best candidate for Magistrate Court Judge?

The most important job of any Judge is to be fair, impartial, and to follow the law. My vast legal and community experience makes me the best candidate for Magistrate Court Judge. I started serving the community before law school as a probation officer. In 2012, I began practicing law and I started my own firm, The Brewington Law Firm, LLC. Throughout my career I have represented mostly low income clients navigating the criminal justice system. I have handled all types of criminal cases from simple traffic or city ordinances to complicated federal conspiracies and murder. For five years I served as a Solicitor (prosecutor) in Municipal Courts. By working as both a prosecutor and defense attorney I have learned how to see cases from both sides. In December 2022 I was appointed to serve as a Municipal Court Judge. I have presided over traffic, misdemeanor and felony cases as a judge. My continued service to the community and my clients has given me the experience, knowledge, and temperament to serve as a Magistrate Court Judge.

Connect Savannah: Magistrate Court hears a very high volume of cases. What is your plan to handle the case load?

Throughout my career I have maintained a high caseload of clients, often needing to appear in several courts each day. As a Municipal Court Judge I have had dockets with hundreds of cases that I have been able to hear efficiently. I have never been scared of hard work. When I started my law firm I was new to town, and barely knew where the courthouse or jails were, but I built it into a thriving practice. The plan to handle the high volume of cases in Magistrate Court is easy, work hard, and ensure that everyone in the clerk’s office has the ability and support to get their jobs done as well.

Connect Savannah: What are the most important issues a Magistrate Court Judge faces, and how will you address these issues, if elected?

Litigants in Magistrate Court face immediate and devastating consequences such as being arrested or evicted from their homes. A Magistrate Court Judge must have the patience and temperament to ensure that every person is given a just and equal chance to present their case. This is especially true in Magistrate Court where the majority of people are not represented by attorneys. The Magistrate Court Judge must listen to the merits of every case, and ensure that the law is followed, while also running an efficient courtroom. I have proven with my experience that I can ensure the Magistrate Court runs in a smooth, respectful and efficient manner while protecting each person’s rights equally under the law.

TRACIE MACKE

Connect Savannah: What experience makes you the best candidate for Magistrate Court Judge?

Since 2020, I have served as Magistrate Court’s Judge pro tem/Clerk/Court Administrator. As its Clerk and Court Administrator, I supervise the Court’s entire financial and court operations, ensuring effectiveness. As Judge, I have presided over hundreds of every type of  case handled in Magistrate Court. Prior to working as a Magistrate Court Judge, I practiced as a civil trial attorney for more than twenty years. My extensive background in handling civil cases provides the expertise needed for a Magistrate Court Judge because 90 percent of our cases are civil cases.

Prior to Magistrate Court, I worked as a civil trial attorney in private practice law firms here in Savannah and as an in-house trial attorney for a Fortune 500 company, where I was recognized for achieving 100 percent trial wins and 100 percent client satisfaction. It is that 100 percent client satisfaction that has meant the most to me in my legal career and shapes how I work today as a Magistrate Court Judge. Because many people who appear before me do not have an attorney, I strive to be people-friendly. I recall my clients over the years were anxious or fearful about court. I learned that if I took time to explain how a trial works, they became more trusting of the legal process. As a Judge, before I start any trial, I explain how a trial works, and after evidence is presented, I discuss my decision in ways that help everyone understand the Court’s order.

I am humbled by the broad-based support of many organizations and elected officials supporting me as Judge on my experience. I have been endorsed by the Savannah Central Labor Office; Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys; dozens of leaders in our legal community (past presidents of the Savannah Bar Association, trial honorary associations and former president of the State Bar of Georgia) and many Georgia State Representatives, area mayors and council members and Chatham County Commissioners.

Connect Savannah: Magistrate Court hears a very high volume of cases. What is your plan to handle the case load?

I am deeply committed to the vital role the Magistrate Court plays in our

community. My ability to manage a heavy caseload as Magistrate Judge has been consistently demonstrated over the past four years. In 2023 alone, Magistrate Court handled over 19,700 new cases. I am working hard to help handle an anticipated 20,500 new cases this year. Despite our heavy caseload, we do not have a backlog. This means sometimes working very long hours on behalf of the people, which I have done diligently over the years. I continually monitor our case filings, work carefully with our staff, and collaborate diligently with the other judges to ensure all our cases are being heard in a timely manner. With my assistance, Chatham County Magistrate Court is consistently recognized as being in the top 10 percent in Georgia, benefitting our community.

I continually seek out ways to manage our caseload effectively, both inside and outside of the courtroom. As presiding Magistrate Judge on a case in the courtroom, I review each thoroughly before I enter court so I can efficiently hear the evidence and apply the law. Outside of the courtroom, I work hard on solutions to effectively manage our growing caseload. For example, in 2022 I started a program to improve our ability to handle garnishment cases. In this new system, I and the other Magistrate Judges have disbursed over $600,000 from the court’s registry to the rightful owners. I now proactively handle nearly all our garnishment cases addressing legal issues as soon as they are identified.

Simply put, my decades of expertise as a civil trial attorney, combined with my experience as Judge in Magistrate Court, support sustained excellence in managing our demanding caseload. This ensures that Magistrate Court continues to uphold its proven record of outstanding judicial efficiency and effectiveness and I am proud of the part I have played in this success.

Connect Savannah: What are the most important issues a Magistrate Court Judge faces, and how will you address these issues, if elected?

First, Chatham County’s population will continue its recent tremendous

population growth. With this growth, we are already anticipating 20,500 new cases to be filed in 2024. I am committed to not having a backlog so people can get justice in a timely manner. My four years of proven experience as Magistrate Judge and Court Administrator supports my ability to meet the demands of such a high caseload while ensuring our judicial process is fair and equitable to all.

Second, Chatham County deserves a Magistrate Court judge with a strong

reputation for fairness and respect. Fairness, respect, and compassion are not just words to me, they are my guiding principles. As many as 80% of people appearing in my courtroom do not have an attorney. This can be frightening and confusing for many. When I am presiding as Judge, I treat everyone with dignity, taking time to explain legal procedures so they will be familiar with how to present evidence in their case. I carefully explain my decision after hearing each case, so people can understand how I made my decision. Knowing that court decisions can have drastic impacts on people or businesses, my goal is to find ways to have everyone gain trust in our legal system.

Third, as Magistrate Court Judge, I will continue to ensure everyone coming to court has equal access to justice. I am strongly committed to overcoming any challenges preventing access to justice. For example, during the pandemic, I designed protocols so we could offer virtual trials for those unable to come to court and I have presided over nearly every virtual trial for Magistrate Court. Yet, I quickly recognized some people were overwhelmed by technology or had limited access. To ease that barrier, I requested courtroom staff to work with these individuals before I took the bench as judge. This allowed individuals time to become familiar with navigating through Webex and other technological barriers so they could later present their case without dealing with this challenge. Another example of my work as Magistrate Judge ensuring equitable access is outreach, I have done with our county officials and agencies to provide information about available emergency resources to all landlords and tenants during the pandemic. As our community grows, I know there will be other challenges our Court needs to address, and I am prepared and ready to address these challenges. Recently, I have secured a state grant to hire a visual education intern to create videos and materials so people can learn to file and access cases online. This will save our citizens time and money by making it simple to file documents without having to spend time and money to come to the courthouse. As our community grows, I know there will be other challenges our Court needs to address, and I am prepared and ready to address these challenges.

Individuals who have questions about voting on Election Day can call the Chatham County Voter Registration office at 912.790.1520.

Where to vote in person?

For poll locations and more information, visit the My Voter Page on the Georgia Secretary of State website.

Where to drop an absentee ballot?

You can drop it off at the Chatham County Voter Registration office located at 1117 Eisenhower Drive, suite E, before 7 pm on Tuesday. Military personnel have three additional days to submit an absentee ballot.

This article appears in Connect Savannah I Best of Savannah.