Dear Editor,

I am a Republican lawyer and I am asking you all, including Republicans, to vote for Tony Garza, the Democrat candidate for Judge of Superior Court 3, rather than for the Republican candidate selected by the leaders of the Republican Party. Having practiced law for over 45 years, this is not political to me. It is all about what is best for the judicial system, the lawyers and the litigants in Kosciusko County. I know that Tony Garza has much experience in the courtroom and Chad Miner does not (being selected by the Republican leaders is not the same as actually being experienced and qualified for the job).

I began my legal career as a Navy JAG lawyer stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, then practiced in Wyoming, followed by a sabbatical to do Bible-based missionary work in Japan, and finally, I hung out my shingle to practice law 39 years ago in Warsaw, Indiana. As a Republican, and as a seasoned attorney myself, I know the importance of the judge having experience and knowledge. I also know that qualifications and experience are hard-earned and have nothing to do with one’s family heritage or one’s political party.

Many of the other letters to the editor supporting Garza have focused on Antony Garza’s 23 years of experience in many aspects, from prosecutor (Chad Miner never worked as a prosecutor), to mediator (Miner isn’t qualified as a mediator), to starting his own practice (Miner works in the practice started by his father), to pro-temp judge (Tony has pro-temped as a judge at least a hundred more times than Miner). But there’s another huge issue that I haven’t seen talked about much. Chad Miner has never even once participated in a jury trial, while candidate Antony Garza has tried many jury trials

Surely you do not want to elect a person as a judge who has never tried a jury trial, do you?

Preparing for trial requires in-depth analysis of not only the facts of the case but also the law and the rules of evidence. While preparing for trial, an attorney must anticipate arguments from opposing counsel and objections and arguments to be made to the court. In trial, one has to make split-second decisions, and that ability can only be developed with years of experience and growing knowledge. That is the legal expertise and knowledge that a judge needs to be qualified to conduct jury trials and trials to the bench. Yes, Miner has a lot of experience handling small claims, but he does not have much experience with criminal trials which also are held in Superior Court 3. Someone who hasn’t worked in this area wouldn’t understand the complexity of the trial rules, rules of evidence, and procedures that do not apply in small claims cases. I assure you that these issues above are vitally important to the lawyers and judges involved in the more significant cases.

Bottom line. Chad has his father’s name, but he does not have the experience to be Judge of Superior Court 3. For the good of Kosciusko County’s judicial system, this 45-year attorney who is a Republican, a veteran, and a Christian, strongly endorses Antony “Tony” Garza for Judge Superior Court 3.

Respectfully,

Paul Refior
Warsaw