Rockdale Citizen

CONYERS -- Incumbent Rockdale County Magistrate Court Judge Clarence A. "Rudy" Horne announced he will seek a sixth term in office in the 2012 elections.

Horne has overseen county Magistrate Court proceedings since succeeding Hyram Pierce in 1992. The court typically handles thousands of actions per year that involve civil small claims, landlord/tenant matters, garnishments, abandoned motor vehicles, ordinance violations, criminal arrest and search warrants, probable cause hearings and bad checks.

Horne said the trademarks of his tenure as Magistrate Court judge are efficiency and fairness. He also called attention to efforts to streamline his office that have made his office more responsive to residents.

"Our office is extremely efficient. We're not behind in anything, we keep current on everything and I feel we do a very good job. We're fair and impartial in the courtroom, which is all the people can ask. You have to be knowledgeable about the law, but being fair and impartial is a big thing and I think we do that well. I think that's why we've been elected five times."

Those running for a judicial office are restricted on how they campaign since incumbents cannot discuss cases on which they have ruled. Horne said for him that leaves the discussion on judicial philosophy.

"My philosophy is to treat everyone the same and give them a fair hearing, which I think any judge should do," he said.

The Magistrate Court issues all arrest warrants in the county and city of Conyers. Last year, Horne's office processed 4,036 misdemeanor and felony warrants.

Also, if someone does not bond out of jail it's the Magistrate Court's job to hold a probable cause hearing for the individual to hear evidence to determine whether to bind their case over to either the Superior or State courts. Horne estimated that about 25 percent of all arrest warrants issued resulted in someone not bonding out of jail.

Horne said his court heard 6,668 civil cases in 2011 with the majority of those being dispossessions over nonpayment of rent. Of the 2,466 small claim cases last year in Magistrate Court, 704 involved abandoned motor vehicles.

Horne graduated from Emory University in 1965 with a degree in history and a minor in political science. He taught school for three years before attending Woodrow Wilson School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 1978.

Horne was appointed as an assistant Magistrate Court judge in 1987 prior to being elected. The office became a full-time position in 2001. The Magistrate Court judgeship is a partisan seat. Horne is running as a Republican.

However, that may change if local legislation passes the Georgia General Assembly this year to make the county's Magistrate and Probate Court judges nonpartisan positions.

The bill affecting the Magistrate Court passed the state House last year and needs a vote by the state Senate. If approved and signed into law, the general election for Magistrate Court will move from November to July.

The bill for the Probate Court is part of Rockdale County's legislative packet introduced this month.

For more information about Horne's campaign, go to www.judgerudyhorne.com or contact his campaign at rudyhorne.judge@yahoo.com or 770-596-6462.