Atlanta Area Rotary hosts Monty Murry
Monty Murry, a personal-injury attorney in Texarkana, is running for judge of the 5th Judicial District and hopes to unseat the incumbent, Judge Bill Miller. On Thursday, he presented Atlanta Area Rotary members the details of his candidacy at their regular meeting at Luigi’s Italian Restaurant. It was assumed that Miller would attend and that the event would function as a debate. Miller told the Atlanta Citizens Journal that he was only made aware of the event on Thursday and could not attend.
Murry said, “Why am I running for judge? My opponent was appointed to fill a vacancy on the bench when Judge Ralph Burgess ran for and won the Court of Appeals. Since then, he has not had an opponent. I intend to challenge him for this post because it’s my belief that the citizens of Bowie and Cass counties should choose who they want to serve as judge.”
Murry asserted, “The 5th district court in Texas is the highest trial court in the state, and it should be filled with the one who has the most experience as a trial attorney and the most success as a trial attorney.”
Murry underscored the marked difference between he and Miller, “My opponent can obviously say, talk about all of his cases that he’s handled. The number of criminal matters he’s disposed of and I can’t get up here and tell you I got experience as a judge because I don’t. Because I haven’t been a judge.”
He added, “I knew running against the system would be difficult, and I don’t make any judgement against the system but running against an incumbent is running against the system. It is difficult.”
Murry is funding his own campaign and feels that accepting money from attorneys and businesses leaves the impression that the judge can offer favors.
“To me a judge should be fair and impartial, and a judge should not owe favors to any person or any group. I owe no one and I consider myself to be completely independent.”
Specialty courts are of special interest to Murry. He hopes to participate in both drug court and veterans court. He explained that these courts give non-violent offenders a chance to rehabilitate themselves to avoid incarceration.
Murry said, “I believe my opponent has not participated in drug court neither in Bowie County or Cass County. I believe he has helped a couple of veterans, maybe, but that’s in our veterans’ courts. But in our drug courts he has not participated, and I don’t think it’s something he really cares that much about. It’s something that I have a heart for and it’s something that I want to actively be involved in to help make it more successful.”
Murry fielded questions from club members and shared his pro-life position and support for the Second Amendment.
Murry’s states on his website, “It is my firm belief that a judge should SERVE the Bar. A Judge should display judicial temperament, patience, firmness, understanding, humility, and common sense. He should be able to effectively communicate with counsel, jurors, witnesses and parties calmly, courteously, and respectfully.