2013 State Common Pleas and Municipal Court Candidate Questionnaire

Transcription

1 2013 State Common Pleas and Municipal Court Candidate Questionnaire Name and Position that You re Running for: Judge Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Campaign Manager s Name and Address: Lauren Townsend Ltownsend4@gmail.com Campaign Website: Your Address: campbell.giovanni@gmail.com Phone number: Giovanni Campbell: (c) Date: March 29, 2013 Instructions Please complete the following questions on this form, and return by to info@phillynn.org. Questions

2 1. Why are you qualified and well-suited to serve as a judge? My 20 years of trial practice has taught me that frank and considerate treatment of everyone in the courtroom engenders both fairness and efficiency in the administration of justice. I will bring these values to the courtroom and judicial process to benefit all Philadelphians. * See bio attached for more information 2. Please list the names of all the community, civic and advocacy organizations that you ve been a member of over the past 20 years, and identify the positions of leadership that you ve taken in them, if any. In addition to being a board member of Americans for Democratic Action and a member of the Germantown Friends Meeting, I regularly provide pro bono representation to individuals in need, both independently and in partnerships with various agencies to which I belong. I have represented clients pro bono through the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia (PILCOP) as a volunteer civil rights attorney, criminal defense attorney and criminal law consultant. I have volunteered with Wills for Heroes, a program co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association that provides free basic estate planning documents to first responders and their spouses. I am a member of the Senior Law Center s attorney volunteer hotline for indigent senior citizens. I have counseled indigent persons in various areas of the law in collaboration with the Volunteer for the Indigents Program (VIP). Furthermore I have been involved with Law Related Education (LRE) programs like Temple s Law Education and Participation Project (TEMPLE-LEAP), the Pennsylvania Bar Association s Pro Bono Project, La Salle University s Mock Trial Tournament, and the Philadelphia Bar Association s Advancing Civics in Education (A.C.E.) program. I finally encourage my employee in his pro bono activities, providing assistance and advice as he needs. 3. Indicate the organizations that you ve represented as counsel during your professional life. I have only represented individuals. 4. Have you done any pro bono work during your professional life? If so, please describe that work with as much specificity as you can. Yes See answers to #2. 5. How would you describe the qualities of judicial demeanor that a judge should have? What about your background would show your capacity to display that demeanor in your courtroom?

3 My 20 years of trial practice has taught me that frank and considerate treatment of everyone in the courtroom engenders both fairness and efficiency in the administration of justice. I will bring these values to the courtroom and judicial process to benefit all Philadelphians. 6. How do you plan to remain independent of political and contributor influence if elected to the bench? The best policy is to maintain transparency through full disclosure. This would assure that even the potential appearance of impropriety is addressed. I would recuse myself if/whenever such an appearance or actual conflict exists. 7. Please give us your thoughts on economic justice. How would these ideas fit into your judicial decision-making process? A person s economic status is intrinsically linked to the likelihood that person finds him/herself in the courtroom, and it also affects the type of representation they receive. This is why - 1) I have practiced law from North Philadelphia Neighborhoods for over 75% of my career, 2) why I have done so much pro bono work over the years and 3) why I devote so much of my practice to numerous federally appointed clients. My experiences working in neighborhoods make me cognizant of incarceration s effect on families and communities. Also, my Afro Latino background offers a global perspective that is well suited to Philadelphia s emergent diversity. 8. If you believe that gender, racial, ethnic, class or other forms of bias can infect the justice system, how will you work to keep your courtroom as bias-free as possible? I was raised with a strong sense of fairness and equality, which has been a guiding force in my practice. As a judge, I will bring these values to the judicial process and require all courtroom staff to respect differences and treat everyone equally. 9. What is your view of the relative value of punishment, rehabilitation and restorative justice in dealing with defendants convicted of crimes in your court? How would you implement those beliefs? Punishment, protecting society, rehabilitation, deterrence and rehabilitation are important objectives to consider in the sentencing

4 process. It is the fair reconciliation of these factors, under the particular circumstances of each case that make a sentence fair. 10. [CP candidates only] Would you be willing to impose a sentence of death? If so, under what circumstances would you impose it? I don t believe that the death penalty works, and would therefore not participate in any proceedings that involve the death penalty. 11. Do you believe that poor criminal defendants get adequate representation from the Defenders Office? If not, in what way can or should a judge help even the playing field between prosecution and defense? Everyone is entitled to effective representation, irrespective of economic status. Where it appears that a defendant is subjected to ineffective assistance of counsel (whether privately retained or otherwise), I would conduct investigative inquiries on the record, the results of which would help determine what remedies are proper. 12. [CP candidates only] What is your view of the extent to which a judge should respect the amount of punitive damages awarded by a jury? A jury s verdict may not be modified absent clear error. 13. [CP candidates only] Under what circumstances do you think it appropriate to restrain picketing? Only when picketers break the law is it appropriate to restrain picketers. 14. What is your view of the extent to which the First Amendment protects nonviolent protest activity that interferes with the normal operational environment of public or private facilities? A person should be able to exercise his/her right to free speech without fear of reprisal that is content-based. No protest should be restricted unless protestors are violating the law. 15. [CP candidates only] In light of the variety of scandals that have emerged over the practices involved in assigning mortgages to servicing companies, what documentation would you demand before foreclosing on a mortgage, or, if running for Municipal Court, canceling a lease due to a foreclosure. I would demand the documentation that is required by law and proof of authenticity of all documents relied on.

5 16. [CP candidates only] If your Court includes jury trials, what would you do to promote greater participation of women and minorities for jury service in your court system? N/A 17. How would you treat the seriousness of economic and white-collar crimes in sentencing and parole decisions? Economic and white-collar crimes should be punishable according to the applicable statutory provisions, consideration of the sentencing guidelines, protection of the public, rehabilitation, deterrence and punishment. All the same criteria must apply as in any other crime, rather than to sentence solely on the category of the crime. 18. [CP candidates only] If elected you may be assigned to the Family Court. What experiences have you had in your professional career or personal life that would come into play in your disposition of cases in that Court, and what would their impact be? My personal and professional experiences (as well as my principles) demonstrate that there are two sides to every story; neither may be true, one may be true or both may be true. The truth in a dispute is a decision made by the judge after sincere, open-minded consideration of the evidence presented as it comports with common sense and life experiences. 19. [CP candidates only] The majority of litigants in Philadelphia Family Court are pro se. What will you do to protect the rights of these litigants? I would take precautions to ensure that they understand to consequences of proceeding pro se, in the long term and the short term. I would also ensure that proceedings minimize the disadvantages these litigants face when they proceed pro se. 20. Do you believe that tenants have the right to withhold rent and avoid eviction if the landlord breaches the warranty of habitability? If so, what standard would you apply to determine if a breach has occurred? Tenants have the right to withhold rent if their apartment is uninhabitable or there has been material breach by the landlord. Eviction should never be based on the tenant s lawful withholding of rent. In a residential situation, a landlord always has a duty to maintain habitability.

6 ELECT GIOVANNI O. CAMPBELL for Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on May 21, 2013 Common Pleas Court judges make decisions that affect every individual in the city. A judicial candidate should have integrity, experience, community involvement, and judicial temperament in order to serve our city in that capacity. Giovanni Campbell is such a candidate. Additionally, Mr. Campbell s multicultural perspective is congruent with Philadelphia s growing diversity, and would help to bring balance to the bench. EXPERIENCE AND CREDENTIALS Giovanni Campbell has nearly 20 years of trial and appellate experience in federal and state courts. He manages a dynamic law practice focused on criminal defense and civil rights. Mr. Campbell has appeared before judges thousands of times. He has handled numerous jury trials, many of them long and complex, securing victories in a variety of cases. Giovanni Campbell's litigation experience is extensive and varied. He has represented numerous clients in criminal courts. Mr. Campbell has also championed the rights of students with learning differences who sought a free and appropriate public education tailored to their particular needs. Mr. Campbell was recently engaged in international, mass tort litigation as part of team of multiple firms representing plaintiffs who were exposed to toxic waste. Mr. Campbell has also represented numerous parties in worker's compensation disputes, personal injury, and general civil matters. Giovanni Campbell s professional affiliations include the Federal Bar Association - Criminal Defense Committee; the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (PACDL); the Philadelphia Bar Association; the Council for Parent and Attorney Advocates (COPAA); and the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. As a workshop faculty member with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA), Mr. Campbell has trained lawyers who seek to develop or improve their trial skills. Giovanni Campbell is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Court of Appeals 3d. Circuit. He received a J.D. from Temple University School of Law in 1993 and a B.A. from S.U.N.Y. - Stony Brook, New York in 1989.

7 PUBLIC SERVICE Throughout his career, Giovanni Campbell has represented clients from all over the city while practicing from neighborhood locations in North Philadelphia, Kensington and Fishtown. In this way, he has helped to make the legal process more accessible to under-represented communities. Mr. Campbell presently serves those in need from his Center City office by advocating the rights of indigent clients in federal courts as appointed counsel, and has done so in state courts. Giovanni Campbell regularly provides pro bono representation to individuals in need, both independently and in partnerships with various agencies. Mr. Campbell has represented clients pro bono through the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia (PILCOP) as a volunteer civil rights attorney, criminal defense attorney and criminal law consultant. Mr. Campbell has volunteered with "Wills for Heroes", a program co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association that provides free basic estate planning documents to first responders and their spouses. Mr. Campbell is a member of the Senior Law Center's attorney volunteer "hotline" for indigent senior citizens. Mr. Campbell has counseled indigent persons in various areas of the law in collaboration with the Volunteer for the Indigents Program (VIP). Giovanni Campbell recognizes that education about the law contributes to good citizenry. Over the past 21 years, Mr. Campbell has been involved with Law Related Education (LRE) programs like Temple s Law Education and Participation Project (TEMPLE-LEAP), the Pennsylvania Bar Association s Pro Bono Project, La Salle University's Mock Trial Tournament, and the Philadelphia Bar Association's Advancing Civics in Education (A.C.E.) program. Through these programs Mr. Campbell has coached high school mock trial teams for competition in annual tournaments; taught LRE in high school classrooms; contributed to LRE training and teaching materials; participated in seminars and workshops with other LRE organizations on a national level; and served as presiding judge and /or scoring judge in numerous of mock trial competitions. Giovanni Campbell's community service began well before his practice of law. As a law student, he was recruited by the National Lawyers Guild to join a group of attorneys and students advocating for human and civil rights in Miami, Florida. During the summers, he delivered swimming and water safety instruction to diverse urban communities throughout New York City. As a college student, he founded a student organization that established funding and access to various services that met the specific needs of disenfranchised foreign students. In high school, he volunteered at a hospice for the elderly and as a Spanish Interpreter at a large city hospital.

8 Giovanni Campbell's experiences in public service would add humanity to his factual and legal analyses as judge. Judicial Temperament Nearly 20 years of trial practice has taught Giovanni Campbell that frank and considerate treatment of everyone in the courtroom engenders both fairness and efficiency in the administration of justice. Mr. Campbell will bring these values to the courtroom and judicial process to benefit all Philadelphians. Background Giovanni Campbell is a naturalized immigrant who moved to the United States from the Republic of Panamá when he was twelve years old. Mr. Campbell has written and spoken fluency in Spanish, supplemented with graduate level courses in translation theory and language policy. He is also of African ancestry with West Indian lineage. Mr. Campbell's Afro-Latino background offers a global perspective that is well suited to Philadelphia s emergent diversity. Conclusion With your support, Giovanni Campbell will enrich the Court of Common Pleas with his solid character, experience, history of public service, judicial temperament and diverse cultural background. Giovanni Campbell can be reached at OR at Campbell.Giovanni@gmail.com You can also contact Lauren Townsend at OR at ltownsend4@gmail.com Paid for by: Friends of Giovanni Campbell 100 South Broad Street, Suite 2226 Philadelphia, PA (Printed In-House)