Circuit court judge candidates seek to better serve college students - Valeri Haughton

Valeri Haughton has seen many students go through the court system.\n"Either they think they won't be heard because they're young, or they think they know too much," said Haughton, the Democratic candidate for Monroe County Circuit Court judge, seat three.\nHaughton said being a judge in Monroe County is different from being a judge in other counties because officials need to be aware of the special needs of students.\n"The courts have developed mindful of the fact that it's a college community," Haughton said.\nHaughton said she feels the way to reduce the problem of overcrowding in the Monroe County jail is to deal with other community problems. She proposes instituting a separate work-release facility just for convicts on the work-release program to go back to at night, instead of the jail building. She said she hopes it will not only alleviate overcrowding but facilitate criminals' re-entry into society and keep them in touch with their families. \nThe current system requires those under work release to go to the jail immediately every night. \n"That doesn't make sense," Haughton said.\nHaughton said she is willing and able to try night court, a new format Marion County is trying out where residents can choose to take care of their court cases in the evening. However, she said "the practicality is a whole other animal." \nFirst of all, additional staff would be required at the expense of the court, she said. \n"To try to figure out a rotation schedule that would attempt to maximize the use of the courts is really hard," Haughton said. She said she feels an in-depth study to determine the effectiveness is necessary before considering implementation. \nHaughton is also a champion for a juvenile center in Monroe County, she said. Currently, Monroe County buses minors to other counties because it does not have its own facilities. \n"We have a responsibility to give kids the best possibilities," Haughton said. "Some of the kids are just getting shipped away because there is no place for them." \nHaughton has five children and 17 grandchildren. \n"It's a small thing, but it's certainly part of who I am," she said. "You learn to listen differently and to listen carefully." \nHaughton's opponent for the seat, Francie Hill, has proposed combining cases of people who are in the same family to expedite case loads and alleviate overcrowding. Haughton said the idea is "a wonderful thing to have as a resource, but it is inappropriate for some of the more serious crimes." \nShe said she feels that in many situations, particularly those of a criminal nature, it is in the best interest of the defendants for their families not to be present.