Judge Jesse Caldwell has proven experience on Superior Court bench
As Election Day approaches, Gaston County citizens are faced with critical decisions that will directly affect our community for years to come. These choices are not as simple as whether someone has a D or an R by his name on a ballot, particularly as it relates to our judiciary.
I was a judicial assistant to the Gaston County Superior Court judges for more than a decade, so I have had the privilege to work with dozens of North Carolina Superior Court judges and can therefore appreciate the characteristics held by the best-qualified jurists. Experience. Judicial temperament. Integrity.
The Honorable Jesse Caldwell delivers these positive traits and more to the citizens of Gaston County. I sincerely hope you will carefully consider a vote to keep Judge Caldwell in this vital role.
Before he became a Superior Court judge, Jesse Caldwell grew up in Gaston County, his family part of our community’s fabric for generations. Moreover, he is the only candidate with the proven ability to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of North Carolina Superior Court judge.
While, respectfully, Justin Davis has had some experience in criminal courtrooms many years removed, Judge Caldwell worked as an assistant public defender, and then chief juvenile defender for a decade prior to becoming Superior Court judge, where this criminal background is crucial, considering our Superior Courts run at about a 3:1 criminal justice to civil litigation ratio.
But it’s not only experience that distinguishes Jesse Caldwell. He is thoughtful and conscientious, deliberate and calm, culminating in the perfect judicial temperament. Should your son or neighbor ever find themselves before him in a courtroom, they will know the man making decisions for their futures does not do so lightly, nor arbitrarily.
Jesse Caldwell’s humility alone would ensure their best possible courtroom experience, but his suitability for the role does not stop there. From day one, he made a point of absorbing everything he could to make himself the best possible jurist.
Judge Caldwell took his oath seriously and dedicated himself to impartial justice. Despite being a new father, he spent countless days working in the courts, followed by long nights on “ride-alongs” with local law enforcement to get a true feel for what these brave young men and women face every day in the line of duty.
He listens to attorneys, court personnel, jurors and defendants respectfully, working always to maintain a productive and cooperative demeanor both in and outside the courtroom, earning him a sterling reputation.
At the center of this reputation is without question Judge Caldwell’s uncompromising integrity. He does not pretend to be something he is not, but you can be secure in knowing what he is: a tireless public servant who possesses the small-town values upon which Gaston County thrives.
I am a registered independent, so this endorsement is not at all about party loyalties. Selecting a candidate based on tribalism weakens our legal system, at too steep a price to our community’s well-being.
We must make informed decisions and vote for the best possible candidates in the coming days. If you believe in securing the strongest possible future of our North Carolina judicial system, Judge Jesse Caldwell deserves your consideration.
Trish Puett is a resident of Dallas.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gaston County Judge Jesse Caldwell has proven experience
