PRESS RELEASES

Bob Rodriguez qualified for a Whitfield County Magistrate post on Monday.

Bob Rodriguez, age 47, qualified on Monday June 23rd for Whitfield County Magistrate Judge. We now know he will be running against Sidney Baxter, age 77, who has been in office 40 years. "I just think that after 40 years of one person in the same office, that it is time for a change," said Rodriguez. "Judge Baxter has been a pillar in the community for many years, but it is time for a new voice, a new vision, to help lead the court into the future. The laws have changed very much in the last 40 years and so have the procedures of the court. We need someone who can keep up with those dynamic changes. I recently completed a six month paralegal course through Dalton State College to help better prepare me for the many challenges ahead," he said. Rodriguez is a Probation Officer with APS. He began his career in 1995. He also served 11 years in the US Air Force. He is a graduate of Leadership Dalton/Whitfield and has been involved in the community since he moved to Whitfield county with his family in the late 1990's.

"I believe that my life experiences and my 13 years in courtrooms as a probation officer make me uniquely qualified to perform the duties of this position. And, I want to help heal our community's racial divisions by being part of the positive solution. I know that I am ready to sit on the bench on day one." said Rodriguez. "I have more legal and courtroom experience than any current Magistrate Judge when they were first elected to office." He said he has been preparing for this position for many years and will be ready on day one. For further information on Bob and why he is running please visit www.electbobjudge.com.

Bob Rodriguez announces his intentions to run for Whitfield County Magistrate Judge.

Bob Rodriguez, a probation officer with Alternative Probation Services, announced his intentions to run for Magistrate Judge today. Elections for the position of magistrate judge will be held at the same time as the general election in November. Qualifying times for this position will begin on June 23rd, 2008. There are four magistrate judges in Whitfield County. Mr. Rodriguez says he will run for one of those positions, but did not specify as to which one he will be running for.

He said he has definitely decided which of the four positions he will run for, but was not prepared to make that known at this time. "I want to build a sense of anticipation and create more excitement for the announcement." The four current judges are Chief Judge Barrett Whittemore, Sidney Baxter, Kaye Cope and Haynes Townsend.

Rodriguez came to the Dalton area in 1999 to work as a probation officer for BI Probation services. He began working for Alternative Probation Services in 2001 where he is now the Senior Probation officer as well as the Operations Manager. Rodriguez and his family moved from Conyers Ga. after being offered a position here due to the many Hispanics in the area. "They asked me to come to Dalton to supervise many of the Spanish speaking individuals. I had no idea at the time that there would be this many Hispanics in Northwest Georgia."

Rodriguez served 11 years active duty in the United states Air Force and one year in the Air National Guard at Dobbins Air Force Base Marietta Ga. Mr. Rodriguez began his career as a Probation Officer in 1995 with Community Correction Corporation, the leader in Private Probation Services at the time. He recently graduated from the Paralegal program at Dalton State College and has his Paralegal certificate. He also has a Bachelors degree from The University of Maryland.

Magistrate court jurisdiction includes: civil claims of $15,000 or less; certain minor criminal offenses; distress warrants and dispossessory writs; county ordinance violations; deposit account fraud (bad checks); preliminary hearings; and summonses, arrest and search warrants. The magistrate court also handles first appearance hearings and sets the bond for incarcerated individuals who are charged with a crime.

Bob's goals for the office are; to improve teamwork, improve communications, create a court website, improve training, and to maintain the highest standards of excellence.

"If elected, I promise to follow the law, be fair and impartial, and perform all the duties and responsibilities of the office in a professional manner."

For more information about Bob and his vision for the Magistrate Court please visit www.electbobjudge.com

On May 2nd, Bob Rodriguez had the honor of helping judge a speech contest at Eastbrook Middle School. "The kids did a wonderful job and it was very difficult to decide on a winner. They were all winners for competing and doing a great job."

Bob Graduated from the Paralegal
Certification Program

The Committee to Elect Bob Judge Announces that Bob Rodriguez has Graduated from the Paralegal Certification Program at Dalton State College.

Bob Rodriguez, candidate for Whitfield County Magistrate Judge, graduated from the Dalton State College Paralegal Certification Program on April 7th 2008. This was an extensive 6 month training program geared toward preparing the students for careers in law. Bob Rodriguez graduated with a solid 97 average, an A plus.

Superior Court Judge Jack Partain was the key note speaker at the graduation. He said he was proud of the graduates and honored to be there at their graduation. He encouraged the graduates to be honorable and do the profession proud.

Bob Rodriguez said that, “It was a very long and difficult course but it was very rewarding. The information and knowledge I have obtained during this class will serve me well as a Magistrate Judge.”

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