Whittemore says court has ‘gained respect’

Published 7:19 pm Friday, October 24, 2008

Whitfield County chief magistrate Barrett Whittemore says his biggest accomplishment during his 16-year tenure is changing the office from what first seemed like a county office to a real court.

“And we have gained respect for what we do,” he said. “Only one side wins a case, but I think they feel they have been treated fairly and with dignity and respect.”

Whittemore, 68, is being challenged by magistrate Haynes Townsend in the Nov. 4 general election.

Whittemore’s salary is $87,764 and he oversees a staff of 13. The budget for the office is $571,000. Duties of magistrates include civil disputes of less than $15,000, first appearance hearings for people who have been arrested and the signing of warrants.

Whittemore said if he is re-elected he wants to continue to improve the court.

“We are still finding things to improve the way we operate procedurally,” he said. “We hope to see some expansion of our duties. For example, the civil jurisdiction may extend past $15,000.”

Whittemore said questions have been raised about his health. “My walking is very limited,” he said. “But I had a physical and (the doctor) said I am clear to run.”

Whittemore has said he has released all of his medical records on his Web site, judgewhittemore.darkfae.net.

This race comes down to two questions, he said.

“One, who is the better judge? Second, who has the best managerial skills?”

Whittemore said the court has been able to replace three of the four constable cars without spending any money. That includes a Firebird driven by the chief constable. The car was confiscated in a drug bust in Whitfield County and was the only vehicle available that was free when the office was searching through confiscated cars.

“We have not bought a car since the 1990s,” Whittemore said.

Whittemore is a native of Whitfield County, graduated from North Whitfield High School and is a graduate of Emory University. In 1999 he received the Diploma of Judicial Skills from the American Academy of Judicial Education. In 2002, Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed him to the Georgia Commission on Family Violence. He continues to serve on the commission and is a member of the training committee.

Whittemore has served as president of the Council of Magistrate Court Judges. Since 1995 he has served as an instructor in judicial education and was previously chair of the Magistrate Court Training Council. He was a member of the committee that developed and initiated the mentoring program for magistrates through the Institute for Continuing Judicial Education of Georgia.

Whittemore is a senior member of Dalton Kiwanis and a member of the advisory board for the First Steps program.