Black's law background serves as campaign platform

Contributed Auburn Villager Gary Black served as an Auburn police officer for 25 years before earning his juris doctorate and practicing law locally.

Gary Black has more than three decades of experience in law enforcement and practicing law combined. With the March primary nearing, he said he wants to take that experience to the next level.

Black will be running for the Republican seat in the Lee County District Judge, Place 2 election on March 13. He will be challenging incumbent Russell Bush who has served in that capacity since 2000.

Born in the East Alabama Medical Center less than a month after it opened its doors, Black has lived in Auburn his entire life. After graduating from Auburn High School in 1970, Black joined the City of Auburn Police Department.

He worked in all divisions from administration to patrolling to detective work. Black also supervised three undercover operations that led to numerous arrests, indictments and convictions for felony drug charges.

It was with the Auburn Police Department that Black said he acquired the necessary skills to settle disputes between people.

"From my experience in law enforcement dealing with all kinds of matters and disputes between people—from civil matters to criminal matters, homicides, rapes and so forth—I feel that I have gained a great understanding of the law," Black said.

To take that knowledge a step further, Black attended Montgomery's Jones School of Law where he obtained his Juris Doctorate after retiring from the Auburn Police Department in 1995.

Black has been practicing law locally for the last nine years and has appeared in 36 courts at the municipal, circuit and district levels. Additionally, Black has taught classes at Auburn University that include criminology courses and a First Amendment class in the journalism program.

Now, Black said he believes he has what it takes to apply the law in the district.

"Basically, when you look at the courts and see what they do, you have to have some kind of resolution when you have a problem," Black said. "What you have to do to come to a resolution is apply the law. It has to be applied equally and fairly. I think that with my experience, I have the ability and the temperament to make the correct decisions in court as the next Lee County district judge."

Should Black be elected in March, he will be the uncontested new Lee County District Judge, Place 2, since there is no Democratic opposition.

If that happens, there is something specific Black wants to see change within the system.

"The problem I've experienced in the last nine years plus the 25 years in law enforcement here is that court scheduling is a problem," Black said.

Black said many courts in criminal cases utilize a plea date, also known as a first appearance docket. He strongly believes in having those in Lee County.

"The majority of cases are not worked out in court," Black said. "They're worked out between defense attorneys and prosecutors."

If the district court has a first appearance docket, Black said the cases that cannot be worked out between the attorneys would move to a trial docket.

"That way the officer who is involved in the case can be prepared for trial," Black said. "Many courts use this. It would save the clerk's office from having to issue subpoenas for the officers."

Black added that sometimes an officer has to be subpoenaed more than once because a witness does not show up in court or the or trooper is working a wreck in another county.

According to Black, those types of issues jam up the court and in turn waste time, money and manpower.

"The court would work more efficiently with a plea docket and a trial docket," Black said. "Everybody would be prepared to try the case. This would save not only the clerk's office time, but it would save overtime for the officers coming in. We've had a cutback (on officers) here. When you lose your manpower out there, then you've got your officers tied up in court all day, who is patrolling the streets? Who is answering the calls at night?"

After being approached by friends in both law enforcement and law practice, Black said he made the decision to run for district judge to potentially alter the system about 15 months ago.

After he qualified as a candidate for the Republican primary, Black has been campaigning the old fashioned way: asking for votes one at a time.

"Just trying to meet as many people as I can meet," Black said. "I'm having fun with it."