Chris Bruno
Judge Chris Bruno is running to hold on to his seat in Civil District Court. Bruno says that in his six years on the bench he believes he has done a good job and wants the opportunity to continue.
“My docket is completely up to date,” he says “I set trial dates within six months of a request. I am extremely proud to work with the senior community. It has been extremely rewarding and fulfilling.”
And he says he again is running for re-election on a platform he describes as “pretty simple”
“I will keep running a fair, efficient and timely docket and continue to ensure judicial accessibility by setting cases quickly, diligently preparing, and ruling based upon the law,” he says.
Bruno adds that it is important to limit the time a party, witness or jury has to spend in the judicial system.
“I have and will continue to accomplish these goals,” he says. “I have the confidence of both the defense and plaintiff’s bar, who know that when they have a case in my court, my rulings will be based upon the substantive issues and not upon form or style.”
In addition to his first term as a Civil District Court judge, Bruno served as a judge pro tempore in 2004. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the legal profession as a partner in Bruno & Bruno for 19 years and as a legal assistant and law clerk at the same firm for nine years before that.
Ruth Ramsey
With over 20 years of experience as an attorney, Ruth Ramsey, says she thought it was time to do something more and different for the community.
Ramsey, 51, stepped down as vice president and general counsel of Liberty Bank to make her first run at political office. She says she is running for the Division F seat of Civil District Court not only because she has the skills and ability, but because she has a commitment and deep ties to the community.
“If you don’t have that desire to serve the community as part of your dream to be a judge, you’re doing the city and yourself a disservice,” she says.
Ramsey says she would like to see more “sensitivity, discretion and latitude within the bounds of judicial canons” when it comes to pro-se litigants. She says that working-class poor cannot afford filing fees and would like to consider the option of waiving fees in certain instances.
“It is important that we reach out to the people to make sure they understand their rights,” she says.
As for her docket, Ramsey says she will efficiently and effectively manage the docket so that litigants will have a fair opportunity and the time needed to have their cases tried in a court of law. She says that pre-trial hearings will help move cases along faster. Ramsey also says that she will work quickly to clear up any backlog that may exist.