We Muddled Through, Somehow...

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A Man of Letters

To see Scott's Hurley for Judge Facebook page, click here.

To read Scott's Statement of Candidacy, click here

To compare Scott's answers in the Voter's Guide, click here

To view Scott's bio submitted to Judge4Yourself, click here

Dear Cleveland Voter:

I promise to give you plenty of reasons to vote for me in a moment, but first, I must address the electoral process for judges in Cuyahoga County and Cleveland Municipal Court.

For many years, the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party held sway over a judicial selection process that nearly always prevailed.  You only won if you paid them to put you on a sample ballot, bought yard signs through their merchants, paid for their billboards, etc.  Us Democrats who thought that process repugnant and corrupt were labeled "lower than Republican" in the party caste system.  Party politics and money skewed the process, and it showed in the quality of candidates for judge.

If a candidate could remove money and politics from the equation, running only on his reputation in the legal community, and WIN? That would change the process for the better.

And so, I'm trying to change the process for the better. I'm running for a seat on the bench of Cleveland Municipal Court, where I practice each day, breathing life into the constitutional rights of the least among us.

1. I received the highest score of all the candidates in my race from the four legal associations that comprise the Judicial Candidates Ratings Coalition. The website, Judge4Yourself.com, provides their ratings.

2.  I stand in contrast with my opponents as an AFSCME union member.

3.  I am not accepting campaign contributions. I believe we should all rethink the wisdom of handing money to people to help them win a seat on the bench. The current political process guarantees corruption and incompetence in the judiciary.

4. As an assistant public defender working the busiest municipal courtrooms in the state, I practice mass indigent defense before every member of the bench, regularly.  I have witnessed -- or been asked to help solve -- every conceivable problem the court confronts.

5.  I bring a familiar demeanor to the courtroom, one that assures judges that I respect the rule of law, gives me credibility to my skeptical clients, and educates spectators about court matters and decorum.  I use the microphones and cameras set upon me to make a good record.  It's something I call "Courtroom Classroom Theater Church" lawyering.

Running for judge has been an enjoyable, enlightening experience.  Perhaps many will be surprised to see my name on the ballot on Nov. 5.  I hope those that do recognize my name think about my peculiar devotion to public service, my rejection of judicial campaign contributions and party politics, and my service to the "least among us" as a measure of my qualifications for judge.

Thanks,

Scott

Dear Rob & Stu:

Please know that it's nothing personal.  I'm sure you are both nice guys. But the question, now, is: are you men of your word?

Neither of you have made promises to me.  Indeed, I don't believe I've spoken to either of you on this or any subject.  But if you look back just a few years, you'll see that you both made bipartisan promises to serve the integrity of the judiciary.  You both promised to take money and politics out of judicial races, with the help of the Judicial Candidates Ratings Coalition, the JCRC.

I remember reading Leila Attasi's article on the point, thinking, "Wow. That's great! Waive the stink away from judicial elections, once and for all!  Leave endorsement decisions to the bar associations!  No more terrible candidates!"

And then, it occured to me: I could win.

If BOTH parties supported the highest rated candidates, vetted by the rigorous interview process of Cleveland's four bar associations, then I could win an election without party support, without campaign contributions.

And then, it occured to me:  I'd have to be the highest rated candidate in a judicial race that had no incumbent.

Which brings us to today, you see, because now, a week before election day, I happen to be the highest rated candidate in a judicial race that has no incumbent.  So I believe both the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and the Cuyahoga County Republican Party should publicly support me.  Today.

Neither one of you is under cross-examination. (Lucky for you!) Neither one of you signed an affidavit as such. Neither one of you gave me your word.  But you told the citizens of Cleveland and Cuyahoga that things would change, that you'd seen the error of the old system of money and politics, and that you would support candidates vetted by the JCRC.

If either of you want to talk, I'll be in the Justice Center, begging for justice and mercy for the poor as my father did before he died of a liquor-soaked, broken heart.  As usual.

Sincerely,

Scott Roger Hurley

"And now, the movie, folks!"

Letter from Bob Begin, St. Colman Parish

This Time It Is A "Yes!"

July 19, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Colman,

Thank you, all of you, for your sincere concern and your prayers and efforts over the past two months. I met with the bishop and Father Oleksiak this morning to discuss the future of St. Colman as it relates to the timeliness of my retirement.

The meeting was pleasant and the Bishop indicated that he had carefully considered and prayerfully reflected on my request that he reconsider his decision to accept the resignation that I submitted as required at age 75. He indicated further that he had prayerfully reflected on all of the messages that he has received from persons who love the mission and ministry of St. Colman.

He proposed that I continue at St. Colman as Pastor until August 30 of 2014 and, during that time, work with the incoming leadership to create a smooth transition and a transition that would insure the “long term pastoral and sacramental care of St. Colman.”

I could not have asked for a better proposal and I promptly agreed. As we talked further, I became very convinced that if we make good use of the year ahead of us, we can not only assure a smooth transition, we can also continue to expand our pastoral and sacramental ministry. We will have his full support.

Please take a moment to thank God and all of our saints and angels who have accompanied us through these two months.

A thank you note to the Bishop can be addressed to Bishop Richard Lennon, Diocese of Cleveland, 1404 East Ninth Street, Cleveland Ohio 44114.

Thanks again to everyone and please stay fully engaged as we roll up our sleeves once again and figure out how to expand our efforts to be the compassionate heart of Jesus in our city in the best way possible.

Gratefully,
Father Bob Begin







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St. Colman Church | 2027 West 65 Street | Cleveland | Ohio | 44102

Unusual Shoes

I fill unusual shoes at the Cuyahoga County Public Defenders Office in Cleveland, Ohio. On paper, I'm currently assigned to Housing Court (Yes, housing court is a criminal court, and homeowners cited for violations can go to jail; therefore, they should be entitled to free legal advice from a qualified, concerned lawyer if they are determined indigent), but, I'm also known as "The Floater." I fill in the gaps of coverage when our underfunded, understaffed Municipal Division is particularly short on available lawyers. I'm also the fixer, when other lawyers run into problems with clients, I assume representation in the matter. I'm also the replacement, when lawyers get thrown out of a courtroom for their (alleged) insolence or intransigence or incompetence, or whatever the personality clash was that resulted in me taking over. I step in, as if emerging from the dizzy brown slats of the Justice Center's courtroom walls, much to the surprise of a scared client or a curious gallery of citizens. I fill in, pouring my conscience into my advocacy in the stormy sea of poverty and ignorance and prejudice (people have lots of prejudices against public defenders and the court and each other) and addiction and mental illness -- all fundamental issues to a just society -- and I surf the waves of problems of others until I reach the beach.

And I don't just solve problems for clients. Often, I'm solving the judge's problem of moving a crowded docket. I solve security problems by keeping clients calm and moving jail populations in a safe, swift manner. I solve prosecutor's and cop's and victim's problems when I broker a result where others failed. In fact, there's rarely a client or spectator that isn't impressed with my demeanor and results. I don't always "win," but sports metaphors have no business in this improvisational moral theater you call the criminal justice system, anyway. Right?

Each day, I live out a philosophy of public service: that you judge a society by how it treats the least among its citizens. I do it with wit and candor and wisdom earned by helping the poor. I think the court system, specifically the Cleveland Municipal Court system is THE PLACE to address the problems of the poor, since they get arrested so much. It is THE PLACE to intervene in violent families, drug-addled behaviors, alcoholism, dementia, psychosis, hoarding, ignorance, racism, homelessness, etc. It is THE PLACE to provide access to mental health services, substance abuse services, job readiness.

And it is THE PLACE to breathe life into the constitutional rights of our lowest citizens. Even if every other goal fails, we must still make poor folks' First Amendment, Fourth Amendment, Fifth Amendment, Sixth Amendment, Eighth Amendment rights as strong as those of the aristocracy.

I'm running for judge, now. As of today. I've filed petitions to sit among the judges before whom I now practice. While I never expected to get rich helping the poor, circumstance compels me to grab this opportunity to be the most qualified candidate in this race. I don't know what kind of judge I'd be, but I assure all who know me that my desire to serve this great city is somewhere between a sacred duty and a moral compulsion.

I'm not taking any campaign contributions. I'm rejecting party politics. Judicial candidates should know the court system they aspire to control, they should be inside it for many years to observe what works and what doesn't. They shouldn't be well-connected party insiders with debts to settle or axes to grind. I wholly support the Judicial Candidates Ratings Coalition's process for scrutinizing judicial candidates, irrespective of name. I'd love to debate how money and politics (and corruption) have obscured the true aim of a judicial selection process -- the most qualified candidate for the job.

The Kubrick Courtroom

This courtroom, at the north end of the massive, impressive Ohio Judicial Center, in Columbus, OH, was the situs of our mock trial cause. It was an honor and a privilege to coach the Menlo Park team of "gifteds" to this decorous end. Thank you to all judges and parents and students and coaches.

"Courtroom Classroom Theater Church"

Hoppy Oster 2013

Literally Good Friday 2013

Power Struggle

Dippin'