Judge Lloyd Medley, Jr., 66, has held the Division D seat of the Civil District Court since 1996. During those years, Medley says he has gained the reputation for “efficiency, fairness, honesty and integrity” among his colleagues.
Medley says that the only “real issue” in this campaign is who is most qualified and most capable of doing the job.
“I’ve done it for 18 years without any scandal, without any problems. I’m good at it,” he says.
While Medley says some cases are going to linger on “for a variety of reasons,” his docket is now up-to-date and the court “runs well.” He explains that a recent slowdown in his docket stemmed from a six- month medical leave to treat a benign brain tumor. He returned to work on Dec. 2, 2013 with a “clean bill of health”, he says. Since then, Medley says he has presided over 33 bench trials and 42 jury trials and says he will continue to set trial dates quickly and set pre-trial orders with clear deadlines to move the cases in his court.
Medley says that if re-elected, he wants to install long overdue technology that will cut costs and allow for faster processing of paperwork. Paperless court records would be ideal, he added. He says he plans to set up a committee to lobby the legislature for proper financing.
Medley says that “most people think that all we do is deal with ambulance- chasing lawyers,” but when it comes to the community, Medley says the Civil Court is very important when it comes to social change.
Nakisha Ervin-Knott
Attorney Nakisha Ervin-Knott describes herself as “honest, ethical and fair” and says that if elected “judicial efficiency” will be her primary focus.
“You need someone who is going to be willing to roll up their sleeves, look at the law, look at the facts, and the individual issues that are involved in the case and render swift justice,” Ervin-Knott says. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Ervin-Knott, 40, has been a partner with the law firm Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier and Warshauer for 16 years. She does not have the experience on the bench that her opponent has, but Ervin-Knott says she would be more efficient as a judge “because I’m hard-working with well-rounded experience as law clerk, family law and general litigator representing both plaintiffs and defendants.”
She added that she is more in touch with the issues that affect the everyday individual.
Ervin-Knott says she will make herself accessible to all parties involved so that justice can be rendered. She says pre-trial conferences and neutral-party mediations are keys to getting cases moving.
Ervin-Knott says that being courteous and respectful of litigants is also important in being an effective judge.
“To be an effective judge requires impartiality and respect for varying views no matter the race, gender, or socio-economic or political status of the litigants or attorneys,” she says.
