Judge Gwen Broom
The Columbia Board of Aldermen on Tuesday unanimously appointed Gwen Broom as Municipal Court judge.
Broom has been filling in as interim judge since former Municipal Court judge Forest Dantin passed away in January.
Broom, who is also a Marion County Justice Court judge, said she will keep that post as well. Municipal Court typically only meets twice a month and therefore should not interfere with her Justice Court duties, she said.
She has been Justice Court judge since 1999. Jail is not always the answer for criminals, Broom said, adding she hopes defendants can be reformed and get on a better path in life.
City Prosecutor Leigh Berry, Columbia attorney Joe Turney and Columbia attorney Renee Porter had also been considered for the Municipal Court judge position.
Broom will make $1,352 a month as Municipal Court judge.
One thing I notice is the other three candidates, along with the late Judge Dantin were all practicing attorneys. I dont believe Justice judge Broom is. What gives
The Attorney General should step into this fray, the sooner the better. Holding down two judicial seats is a field of conflict waiting to bloom. The problem with that is that Judge Broom doesn’t know what conflict of interests means, or how she would be required, under a Code of Ethics and Conduct bar members MUST live by, to recuse herself if a defendant in Justice Court, who she ruled against and who she may have not particularly “liked”, later comes before her on a DUI charge in Municipal Court.
Then what? An attorney would be compelled to step down. Why? Attorney conduct – and Judicial Conduct – would control the issue. Since Ms. Broom is NOT an attorney, she is not governed by any such ethics or conduct, does not know that “the mere taint” of a conflict would cause most attorney/judges to recuse themselves.
Imagine the Chancellors in Chancery Court ALSO sitting as Circuit Court Judges. One the one hand, they clean your clock in a divorce in Chancery, and then, when you commit a larceny or destroy pubic property in excess of $20,000, you are arrested, and brought before the SAME judge who cleaned your clock in your divorce.
How’d you like that?
That is absolutely correct, time for her to give one of them up and step down.
iI totally agree. She needs to decide which job she wants. Apparently the Mayor & Board have a problem hiring an attorney for the job. They are certainly more educated on the Law than Gwen Broom. I too can see where this would be a conflict.
It’s a scary thought when non-attorney’s think they know enough to be called or even considered a judge. What is Marion County coming to? This council and the mayor need to be voted OUT at the next election since they don’t seem competent enough to make an informed, rational decision.
I agree with all above posts.
The reason the City went to an appointment instead of the mayor being judge was because of having a judge with a “law degree”.
It’s too bad the Aldermen have reverted to the old ways. Now if someone goes in front of Judge Broom that knows her, Judge Hatfield will have to hear the case. If Judge Hatfield knows them, what next? Will they have to tie up a Circuit Judge’s schedule up over a traffic ticket?
We will probably loose a great city prosecutor over this selection.
That is precisely what Columbia will lose – a great city prosecutor. If she doesn’t resign, I’d say she is condoning the selection of a non-attorney to fill a seat that has ALWAYS been held by an attorney.
Oh “let them do their job!” If we let them keep doing it as they currently are, then we will have the more reasons to rid OUR Columbia Board of Aldermen and Mayoral offices of them! They have been running the show exactly how they see fit so far and could care less about what the tax-paying, voting-age citizens desire. The current administration is living in a world of their own making and believe they are the “untouchables.” Lets fulfil that dream for them come next election by making absolutely sure we do NOT touch the voting screen anywhere near their names.
Agreed! 2 cents is right on target!
BRAVO !!
I think “No Joke” said it all!
I think the BOA done the Right thing for once i worked with Judge Broom since she was first elected and you won’t fine a more fair and honest person for the job so i say Congrats, to the BOA you finally got something right
How can someone be appointed “JUDGE” when they have no law degree of any kind? Things like this only happen in Columbia…..
Not so. The law doesn’t require the Justice of the Peace or a city “judge” to have a law degree. Even the mayor could have held the position. There are mini schools and conferences the office holders can attend to help them know and enforce the law, but I would still prefer a licensed attorney to be the city judge.
The Justice Court Judge was once called Justice of the Peace. In Mississippi there used to be 5 JP’s in each county, one for each beat. None of them had law degrees that I recall. Some other cities have been using the Justice Court Judges for their Municipal Court Judges for a long time and it has worked for them. So this is nothing new in the State of Mississippi. Why would lawyers even want the position? The pay isn’t that good and “what a headache”!
Let me get this right!!!
She makes $1352 dollars a month for meeting twice a month. I think $676.00 a meeting is great pay compared to what other individuals make without a professional degree!
How can someone serve as a judge and not have any law degree? Do they have a judicial hotline to inform them of the laws? (1-800-find a law)
I believe the person presiding over the court preceedings should have as much, if not more, education in Law than the attorney’s that appear before them.
Next, we will have brain surgeons in our hospitals that have not been to Medical school.
The education should match the job!!!!!
Oh, would you people please get a life! Do you have to complain about EVERYTHING?! I think the Board of Alderman made a good choice! I’ve never known a Justice Court Judge to have a law degree, and what’s the difference between a Justice Court Judge and a Municipal Court Judge (county/city). I have to agree with “Where have you been?”. Why would an attorney, with a successful law practice, even want the position? They would surely make more money in private practice. By the way, I think the current Board of Alderman have made some good choices. No, we don’t necessarily agree with everything, but they have a hard job to do and difficult decisions to make. Try lifting them up in prayer instead of constantly berating them for the decisions they make.
Let there be peace!:
“they have a hard job to do and difficult decisions to make” BUT guess what? If I remember correctly, THEY are the ones that signed up for the “hard job” and “difficult decisions” when they ran for office. Far too long have we, the citizens, NOT complained and have silently witnessed OUR city go to hell in a hand-basket! I, for one, will no longer be a “silent-witness!” I will scream from the top of the Marion County Court House before I will continue to sit down, shut up, and hold on for the ride!
I do not know if Ms Broome will serve well in both positions. However, I believe at issue is the fact that she now holds 2 positions as a judge without a degree in law. If the state has prerequisites for a law enforcement dispatcher, then why are there not any prerequistes for judicial seats? It would only be logical to think that in order to impose the law, one must be qualified to interpret the law.
Perfect. You hit the nail on the proverbial head. “One must be qualified to interpret the law.” Someone else on this thread mentioned “mini schools and conferences” which, presumably, educate these people to be JUDGES, of all things. If this is logical, then why not abolish the mandate that lawyer candidates must attend a certified law school and pass a strenuous bar exam in order to be lawyers? Couldn’t we just attend a mini school and a couple of conferences, THEN be a licensed lawyer? At least the playing field in court would be equal – non-lawyer judges and mini-schooled lawyers. As far as the accused are concerned, tough luck.
How come the fired GED guy couldn’t just go to a mini school and learn how to be a dispatcher?
Does this remind anyone else of the old “weekend college” piece on Saturday Night Live back in the early ’80s?
I think Gwen is a fair woman who does a great job. No complaints I have ever heard on her until now, I believe she will do justice at both ends of the spectrum.
FOR ALL OF THE ONES THAT ARE (complaining) ABOUT MRS. BROOM HAVING TWO JOBS AS JUDGES, WHY DON’T YOU RUN FOR ONE OF THE POSITIONS NEXT TIME THEY COME UP? IM SURE YOU CAN GET ON THE BALLOT AND MABY YOU COULD DO A BETTER JOB WITH WHAT YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYTHING BUT RESPECT FOR MRS.BROOM,AND SHE HAS ALWAYS DONE A GOOD JOB. THIS IS SORT OF LIKE EVERYONE (complaining) ABOUT THE POLICE DEPT. AND SHERIFFS DEPT. I AM SURE THERE ARE SOME APPLICATIONS FOR THE ONES THAT THINK THEY CAN DO A BETTER JOB THAN WHAT IS BEING DONE NOW. JUST GO PUT AN APPLICATION IN,AND THEN THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY AND COUNTY CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT A CRAPPY JOB YOU ARE DOING AND WHAT YOU ARE NOT DOING RIGHT.THINK ABOUT IT.
In this county and city, applications don’t appear to be anything but a fomality. It obviously is not what you know, but, who you know. It is amazing to me that you cannot see people losing their jobs and “Friends, or Known Associates” of those in power gaining that job. The same goes for the politics in this area, friends and family members get people elected and keep them in office. Qualifications mean nothing. This situation is coming down to a monopoly, one person will be running the county and city courts.
Oh Please!!!!! Our illustrias Prez of the U.S.A. is putting someone in as a Supreme Court Justice who knows NOTHING about the Law…the county is just following after the U.S. Gov’t…get over it…
Pretty good deal for Ms. Broom though. She’s “double-dipping” taxpayer funds – getting paid for both jobs. What a deal!