POTENTIAL JUDGES TALK POLITICS

The four superior court judge candidates for the 3-B Judicial District
usually watch others face a barrage of questions in their courtrooms.

At a candidates forum Thursday night, it was their turn to tell the truth,
and nothing but the truth, at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center.

While no bombs were dropped at the forum, a few cherry bombs were ignited.

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge James E. Ragan III, Resident Superior
Court Judge Benjamin G. Alford, Special Superior Court Judge Carl L.
Tilghman and District Court Judge Ken Crow appeared before the Craven County
Taxpayers Association Inc. to take questions.

Only two of the four judicial candidates will be elected to serve Craven,
Carteret and Pamlico counties.

The race is touted as non-partisan, but Ragan, who has been the senior
resident Superior Court judge since 1994, admitted politics come into the
arena.

One of the questions for them cut to the political chase. "When you all
appeared at an NAACP candidate forum, one of you said, you would do anything
to keep a Republican off the bench, can you explain?"

Crow said the race was non-partisan. "If a judge said that, he should
explain himself."

Tilghman, the only Republican among the candidates, got a laugh when he
said, "I know I didn't say it."

"Seriously, I don't believe political affiliation should be part of the
judicial process."

Tilghman should know. Democratic Gov. James Hunt appointed Tilghman to the
bench in 1997.

Ragan, who admits "being a staunch Democrat," said "I am not sure that I
didn't say it."

Ragan explained that he appoints Superior Court clerks of court.

"The clerk of court office is partisan," he said. "I do think that in that
sense of the word, I'd appoint a Democrat (to the clerk of court). However,
I did not say I would do anything to keep a Republican off the bench."

Alford suggested judges stay out of the political process.

"There should be a committee which appoints the judge, let them stay on the
bench for five years, and if they don't cut it, get rid of them," he said.

Currently, judges are elected to eight-year terms.

All candidates offered views on ways they have or would save taxpayers money
in the judicial arena.

Crow, who has been on the district court bench since 1994 when he was
appointed by Hunt and re-elected twice without opposition, said the number
of narcotic cases that come before the court was staggering. He said
programs, with volunteers, not tax-supported dollars, should be developed to
battle drug use.

"Seventy percent of all the cases in district court involved drugs or
alcohol," he said. "I'm only one part of the solution. As a community, we
must all help."

Ragan recalled how he had a major input in designing the Craven County
Courthouse Annex.

"We built it with no frills or lavish offices," he said. "We have five
courtrooms in that building. All space is used wisely."

Alford said the state judicial system has faced a major budget crisis each
year since 1990.

"It costs $33,000 a year to keep a close custody inmate in prison," he said.
"We can keep someone on probation for $600 per year. However, our first
priority is to protect the public."

Tilghman offered that probation, where prudent, instead of prison time could
save taxpayers money.

All of the judges promised, if elected, they would fulfill their eight-year
term.

At the end of the session, a man leaving the convention center was asked
what he thought about the judge's forum.

"They all seem bright and qualified," he said. "It's a shame that they all
can't be elected."