The two Republican candidates running for Circuit Court Judge Place 7 nomination are battling it out on the campaign trail, but also have business in the courtroom.
Jeremiah Giles is representing Ugur Tufekcioglu, and Kristi Hagood is prosecuting the case.
According to a press release from the Baldwin County District Attorney's Office, Tufekcioglu was convicted in October of first-degree sodomy, sex abuse of a child less than 12 and second-degree sexual abuse. He is awaiting sentencing.
Hagood explained that Tufekcioglu, who is from Turkey, was sexually abusing a young child in the home, often when the child's mother was at work. The abuse took place over the course of years.
"Once the defendant was no longer living in the home, the victim eventually disclosed the abuse to her mother, who reported it to law enforcement," Hagood said. "During the investigation, the defendant confessed to sexually abusing the victim."
While he believes it is inappropriate to discuss details of the pending case, Giles said he is contracted to handle cases in which he is appointed. Judge Byron Brackin appointed Giles as the attorney to defend Tufekcioglu. Giles said the case is an example of his dedication to the Constitution.
"This is a valuable part of the process and a constitutional right the Supreme Court has declared indigent defendants are entitled to (in a 9-0 decision)," Giles said. "I do not get to pick the cases I'm assigned and do it without receiving a dollar from these defendants. I do advocate for the clients I'm assigned, as is my duty. This case falls in that category of cases I was asked to handle by the judge. Anyone who is qualified to be a judge in this country would agree that this is how the system works and is important to the judicial process."
Giles told 1819 News he believes the story about the two going head-to-head, not only on the campaign trail, but in the courtroom, was planted by his "political opponent and her operatives in an attempt to swing a local election." He called the news tip about the case "a desperate attempt" by his opponent to garner support.
"My opponent lacks the experience and judicial temperament to be a judge and is losing the race, so this seems to be a pretty clear desperate attempt to drag me through the mud," Giles said. "She likes to mask her lack of experience with 'I'm a prosecutor and my opponent represents criminals,' line, and this is a further attempt at that. "
Giles said he has prosecuted more cases than Hagood as an assistant District Attorney and emphasized his experience in both criminal and civil cases.
"There is a clear difference in qualifications in this race for Circuit Judge," said Giles. "Unlike my opponent, who is someone who has only worked as a prosecutor and has previously worked for a defeated Democrat Attorney General in the state of Louisiana, I have a broad range of experience in the law. I have served Baldwin County as a prosecutor for five years and have represented actual clients in civil and criminal cases for the past 15 years."
Giles said every American, including President Donald Trump and 1819 News CEO Bryan Dawson, is afforded legal representation.
"My opponent has never had to represent a citizen wrongly accused of a crime who had to depend on the appointed attorney to get justice for them," he stated.
In Alabama, Code § 15-12-21 states that court-appointed attorneys have the duty to "represent and assist the indigent defendant to the best of his or her ability."
Giles said he will continue to uphold his duty, and he hopes that, in the end, voters place him on the bench.
"As a judge, I will always do my part to keep our county safe by imposing harsh sentences on violent career criminals," Giles said.
Giles has owned his own practice for nearly 15 years. As a criminal defense attorney, he said his representation of a client should not be turned into a political issue.
"When choosing a judge, shouldn't we want the most experienced person for the job? I have handled almost every type of case that is going to come before a Circuit Judge, both prosecuting, defending, and handling civil matters," Giles added. "My opponent only knows how to look at cases from one perspective, because it is the only perspective she has ever had."
As a child in Baldwin County, Giles saw firsthand how the legal system can work for families. When his relative was murdered, the suspect was tried three times and received the death penalty in each trial. Giles said he was inspired to become a lawyer after watching former Baldwin County District Attorney Dave Whetstone get justice for his family.
"He was the District Attorney of Baldwin County for 22 years," said Giles. "I am extremely honored that Mr. Whetstone has endorsed me in the race to be the next Circuit Judge in Baldwin County."
Giles said he has also received endorsements from longtime prosecutor and former District Attorney Judy Newcomb and retired Judge Pam Baschab.
"These people know what it takes to be a Judge, and they know me," Giles said. "They have put their reputations on the line by standing behind me in this campaign and I am honored they would do so."
Hagood said she was inspired to attend law school to prosecute those who hurt children. She said her experience is what Baldwin County needs.
"I spent years with the Alabama Attorney General's Office working to keep people on death row who had murdered children and I've tried child abuse cases in front of Baldwin County juries for the last nine years," Hagood told 1819 News. "Because of this experience, I know how important the judge in the courtroom is to the judicial process. With a new judgeship coming to Baldwin County, I knew I had to put myself forward as a candidate because I have the experience to make sure justice is done in the courtroom."
Hagood has been practicing law for 25 years. Along with her experience as a prosecutor, she has taken post-graduate courses in healthcare law and mediation. According to her website, Hagood also has experience in residential and commercial real estate, medical contracts and elder law issues. She said she is running for Circuit Judge to keep families safe.
As for the Tufekcioglu case, she said justice is her focus.
"As a career prosecutor, I take pride in working hard every day to ensure people like this are held accountable and brought to justice," Hagood said.
According to court documents, Tufekcioglu's sentencing was originally scheduled for January but has been postponed twice since then. It is now set for June 3, after the May 19 primary. Neither the prosecution nor the defense requested the continuance, but the judge cited an overcrowded docket and scheduling conflicts.
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