Wednesday, July 30, 2003

Last week, in a letter to the editor, a Fayette County citizen called into question the float that Superior Court Judge Tommy Hankinson rode on in the Peachtree City parade. The comment seems to me to be more political than factual.

First of all, the float was a giant elephant, dressed in camouflage, surrounded by the flags of the armed forces and draped in signs giving "a giant note of" thanks to all our troops, past and present, for their incredible sacrifices. There was no political reference of any kind.

Secondly, judges are non-partisan. This is a fact that seems to have evaded our friendly citizen.

Finally, anyone who questions the integrity of Judge Hankinson has not had an opportunity to see this man on the bench. I had the pleasure to watch Judge Hankinson serve the citizens of Fayette, Spalding, Upson and Pike counties for the last seven months.

He truly listens to each case. He puts the concerns of the innocents first, such as appointing a guardian ad litem for children in cases on contentious divorces and chairing a task force against domestic violence. Moreover, he is creatively trying to break the cycle of crime. He requires anyone who does not have a high school diploma successfully obtain a GED as part of any guilty plea.

Superior Court Judge Tommy Hankinson is an honest, caring and innovative judge and a man of incredible integrity. I invite anyone who has not seen Judge Hankinson on the bench to watch some of his proceedings and find out why even Republicans such as myself are grateful for his work for our county.

Robert Molloy

Fayette County