Carpenter for Judge Campaign

ELECT DAVID CARPENTER

JEFFERSON COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE

I am running for Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge, place number 5.  I have over 15 years of courtroom experience in state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels.  I am currently a private practice attorney in Birmingham, helping the underprivileged in civil, family court, and criminal matters.

The focus of my campaign is to bring attention to the programs we currently have in Jefferson County that have been proven to be effective in reducing crime.  These programs include drug court, domestic violence court, and mental health court. 

Additionally, I propose the establishment of a Veteran's Court program, designed for defendants who have served in the United States Armed Forces who are experiencing treatable behavioral and chemical health issues, i.e., PTSD, TBI, anger management/domestic violence and/or substance abuse or chemical dependency. A defendant must be willing to take full responsibility for their crimes, undergo 12 months of court supervision and random drug tests. Veteran's Court will be more economically efficient than incarceration and will send the message to our veterans that we will give back to those who have given so much to us.

Veteran's Court

In the United States there are currently 1.7 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and millions more veterans from other conflicts. Veterans can often have severe emotional and substance abuse problems that lead to criminal behavior. Instead of focusing on punishment, a veterans' court will address the causes of the problems facing veterans and attempt to resolve them. We will rehabilitate instead of incarcerate.

I propose the establishment of a veterans court program designed to bring a therapeutic environment that fosters rehabilitation for veterans.  The program will be for defendants who have served in the United States Armed Forces who are experiencing treatable behavioral and chemical health issues, i.e., PTSD, TBI, anger management/domestic violence and/or substance abuse or chemical dependency.  A defendant must be willing to take full responsibility for their crimes, undergo 12 months of court supervision and random drug tests. Veteran's courts in other jurisdictions across the country have proven their worth by saving money. More importantly, veteran's courts have a remarkably low recidivism rate, meaning graduates of the programs have been able to turn their lives around and not commit further crimes or return to the criminal justice system. Considering how much our veterans have given to our country, the least we can do is afford them a second chance.



For more information about me and my campaign, contact me at:

Tel.:  (205) 410-2565

 Fax: (205) 933-2565

carpenterforjudgecampaign@yahoo.com

PO Box 55087

Birmingham, AL  35255