Campaign launches website on Smith’s record (10/22/08)

The Committee to Elect Jim Kitchens today launched a new website that takes a hard look at Chief Justice Jim Smith’s record while on the bench.

The site — Jim Smith Uncovered — is located at:

http://www.jimsmithuncovered.com

The campaign said the site is intended to help voters get a better look at what Jim Smith has done as a judge on the Supreme Court.

“We have said from day one that this race should be about the issues, about a person’s record and not about personal attacks,” said campaign manager Sam Hall. “Jim Smith Uncovered takes a look at Smith’s record, what he’s done on the bench as a justice. We want to make sure that voters understand what he has done during his 16-year tenure.”

The website looks at:

1. Wasteful Spending. Jim Smith spent more than $23,000 to decorate his “no-frills” office. He has also received more than $175,000 in travel per diems since 2000.
2. Bad Efficiency Study. Jim Smith is taking credit for other people’s hard work by claiming a study from the Chicago School of Law ranks his court as the second most productive in the state. In fact, the study looks at the court under former Chief Justices Ed Pittman and Lenore Prather.
3. Breaking Rules. Jim Smith violated Senate rules when he filmed inside the old Supreme Court courtroom in the Capitol. Despite saying he would not use the material, he’s featuring the footage on his Website, in mail outs and on television commercials.
4. Appointing Judges. Jim Smith is backtracking on his repeated commitment to go to the Legislature and seek a change in the way our judges are selected. You can tell it’s an election year when a politician will say anything to get elected.
5. Donor Protection. Jim Smith has repeatedly refused to recuse himself from hearing cases involving his campaigns’ large financial backers.
6. Campaign Finance. Jim Smith says he wants to throw the moneychangers out of the courtroom, but the moneychangers are financing his campaign through shady special interest groups.

We encourage the press and the voters to take a long look at Jim Smith’s record and ask him the hard questions about why he’s done the things he’s done.

If you would like further comment from the Kitchens campaign, you can contact Sam Hall at (601) 949-3420 or via email to sam@kitchensforjustice.com.

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Jim Kitchens was elected three times as a district attorney. He has practiced law for 41 years. He and his wife, Mary, have five children and six grandchildren. They live in Crystal Springs. Visit his Web site at www.kitchensforjustice.com.

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