JUDGE RADER INTERVIEW: JUVENILES AND JOE WARREN

Today I wanted to gather information from the energetic, innovative Justice of the Peace for precinct #1 Bobby Rader that might would shed light for us all on the path forward for Liberty County. Judge Rader is unquestionably one of the hardest working public officials in this community and one of the most well liked, but as an occassional contributor to Liberty Dispatch, I wanted to hear a little more about his view of public service and get a hint as to his political future.

As I knocked and entered the room with Judge Rader’s invitation, he welcomed me warmly and invited me to sit down. “I was just trying to put something down on paper to help you with whatever your going to write about today”, Judge Rader said. He stopped typing and turned around and later handed me the paper he had just started.

“A friend once told me that if you worked somewhere and were not part of the solution then you were part of the problem.”

That single comment should be music to the ears of anyone who has endured the last twenty years or so of scandalous behavior in and around our courthouse. That attitude, if carried out aggressively, is what solves budget problems, what constantly and consistently sets high standards and helps to achieve ever expanding goals. But is that just some kind of platitude or an Obama-like sound byte, or is it what we have seen, and can expect to continue to see from Judge Rader?

Judge Rader appears to be the type of public official who runs into the fires rather than away from them. He has made his JP office the most productive office in the county and has set up routines that are time consuming and sometimes controversial, but always true to the comment above. He exposes himself to questions from people who do not understand the law by taking on some roles that he could avoid.

Always at the jail at 5:00 AM and highly accessible to magistrate cases when the District Judges are elsewhere, he carefully follows the guidelines given to him by the Judge Cain and Judge Morefield. If there is a  controversy about bail or any other decision involved in this volunteer duty, Judge Rader may take the heat of differing opinions without the benefit of an opportunity to rebutt his critics because he is simply trying to make the system work better. He has learned cooperation among public officials can make the system work better for the entire community. He does his part. He considers himself part of “the solution”.

But Judge Rader will tell you his aggressive active role as JP does not make him infallible nor does it solve all of the problems and challenges of the county. Justices of the Peace are not attorneys and they are not law enforcement. What this Judge has done is to uses the resources available to him, including the valuable experience of Darla Diaz, a good working relationship with both District Judges and the County Court at Law Judge, and knowledge and experience in law enforcement and a good relationship with them.

Four questions Judge Rader was asked that our readers may like to know the answers from:

1) After years of working to improve JP precinct #1, name something you are still working on

Judge Rader said, “The juvenile problem”. Of course we can always say there is a lack of funds, but saying that does not help solve the fact that the more we overlook and give a pass to juveniles committing their first crimes, the more it encourages some of them to commit worse and worse crimes.” Judge Rader has indicated in the past that if all of our public officials including judges, the County Attorney and District Attorney, and the Probation department would work together to solve this growing problem, some things could be done even without more funding.

2) When you point out the quote from your friend about being a problem solver, are you concerned you set yourself up to be criticized by those who are complaining about the corruption in and around our courthouse?

Because the state of Texas requires that a public official step down as soon as they announce their candidacy for another office, Judge Rader’s answer will remain off of the record so as not to be misconstrued to step into the realm of that law. Judge Rader obviously feels that from his job as JP and his office in the annex, he can not be aware of or solve all of the county’s problems.

3) On the subject of corruption, Judge Rader was asked about the case of Assistant District Attorney Joe Warren. Specifically he was asked with Warren being accused of, and arrested for witness tampering and threatening his next door neighbor with a gun, did he believe Warren should be allowed to continue to handle cases as ADA?

“In cases where someone has felt I was not going to be fair, I have recused myself,“ Judge Rader said as he want on to talk about how the importance of even the appearance of anything unfair should be a top consideration in our courts.

So if you were Joe Warren you would recuse yourself?

“Well, I am not sure he can do that. As a judge I certainly have done that a number of times” Judge Rader responded (Pointing out specific times he had done that - even one case where it was really questionable how anyone would consider it necessary for another judge to be called). “The justice system needs to be above reproach”, Rader continued (he went on to talk about how all judges, including himself may make a mistake, but they need to all go the extra mile to even make the appearance of impartiality a priority).

4) So what do you think District Attorney Mike Little should do about Joe Warren in light of his arrest and pending trial?

(Judge Rader indicated that only the District Attorney or others prescribed by law could address this problem. When reminded he was an elected public official that was known for being a problem solver and that readers wanted to know how this case was being viewed by someone other than media, he did continue to respond to this area of questions). Judge Rader answered, “I would think that the law addresses this kind of situation. I am not an attorney but it seems like there would be laws that told a District Attorney what he had to do in a case like this.”

As a side note, for years it is a known fact among some of the most active local Republicans that Democrats have given Bobby unmitigated hell because he ran on the Republican ticket. We should all appreciate that he continues to be the most open politician in the county. If you want to know why he has done something or exactly how he justifies a ruling etc. All you have to do is ask Judge Rader. Unlike, our District Attorney, Judge Rader will initiate conversations about anything said about him or his office, even if it was said in the media. He addresses matters because he thinks the public deserves an explanation for actions public officials take. Undoubtedly, the few remaining Democrats who have participated in this ritual of trying to ostracize Bobby Rader will now do it more carefully than in the past.

Story and Editorial by LD Contributor