Your vote to elect Kirt Harmon as District Court Judge will bring about changes to the District Court.

Election:
Tuesday, Nov. 4. 2008

Kirt Cares!

I will restore:
C onsistency (in sentencing)
A ccountability (of the legal system)
R espect (to all people)
E thical (principles)
S ervice (to our communities)
Kirt L. Harmon

Consistency
I WILL restore consistent sentencing.

Inconsistent sentencing without some form of pre-sentence report prepared by a neutral third party as in Circuit Court erodes public confidence in our court. In Circuit Court, a Department of Corrections probation officer prepares a report after investigating the background of a person to be sentenced. I will bring a consistent sentencing to the District Court. If inconsistent sentencing is warranted, it will be after a review of a neutral third party recommendation.

Accountability
I WILL restore accountability.

Accountability is an absolute requirement of our court system. The public must be confident that matters are handled according to the laws of the state of Michigan, and in accordance with the Michigan Court Rules. The rules require that should a person desire to plead guilty it must be voluntary, with full understanding, and a state factual basis to support a finding of guilt. This must be done regardless of whether the defendant has counsel, and even if the prosecutor is not there. Accountability also means fashioning sentences that deter others from committing crime and deterring defendants from returning to crime. Accountability starts at the highest person in the court and that person ensuring all under them are likewise accountable in completing their jobs in a prompt manner. I will ensure that the integrity of the court is returned, that the court rules and laws of the state of Michigan are followed, that defendants rights are preserved, that all possible sanctions are utilized to correct behavior and that decisions are based upon the law.

Respect
I WILL restore respect to everyone.

Respect to all people is more than listening and not talking down to a person as if you are better than they are. Respect is treating all persons similarly for their actions that violate the law and their actions that create issues with fellow citizens. Part of the District Court is dealing with civil matters between people. When a person creates issues with fellow citizens, the options are limited and small as a way of redressing the wrong. The object is to make the person wronged whole. We need a person in the District Court chair who has dealt with all areas of the law, and not just the criminal prosecution background. Respect in criminal cases means treating others and those who come later with similar punishment for their wrong against society, and not treating someone different because of their name.

Ethical
I WILL restore ethical principles.

A person must bring the highest ethical principles with them to sit in judgment of our fellow citizens. The most basic of those ethics is keeping informed on changes in the law and following mandatory obligations as set forth by the legislature. There currently are laws which require mandatory vehicle immobilization if a person violates certain drinking and driving laws, or driving while license is suspended. This law was last amended in 2003. The legislature enacted these laws that require the court to immobilize the vehicle after the person finishes any term of jail. These sentencing requirements being mandatory must be followed until a higher court determines they are in some way unconstitutional. The state of Michigan enacted this law to make vehicles unavailable to certain people to protect the rest of us from their illegal driving, and to act as a deterrent to people so they do not have their cars immobilized and unavailable. Sentencing sanctions are only a deterrent to people if they are given by the court. That way people know there will be consequences for their actions. With your vote I will work to prevent repeat offenders

Service
To our communities.

The criminal portion of our District Court is usually the starting point of peoples introduction into crime. As such the District Court is the first opportunity to deter people from progressing down the path to more criminal behavior. I will serve our communities by utilizing all possible sanctions available to act as a deterrent to the person and those sanctions will become known in our communities as consequences to others who may think about violating the law. By having consistent sentencing or a neutral third party completing a background check with a recommendation, and the state and defense able to argue over possible terms of the sentence, it will restore confidence in our District Court. Our courts exist to serve our communities by correcting wrongs, punish those who violate the laws of society, fashioning sentences that deter others from the behavior and doing all this in a way that people are confident in our court and the users understand why they received what they did.

Paid political advertisement
by the Committee to Elect Kirt Harmon.

To contribute, please send your donation to:

Committee to Elect Kirt Harmon
Post Office Box 480
Munising, MI 49862