07272011 - News Article - Snyder says cops have his back

Snyder says cops have his back
Post-Tribune (IN)
July 27, 2011
http://infoweb.newsbank.com
Jim Snyder strolled up to my front door last month accompanied by Portage police officer Ross Haynes, which surprised me a bit.

I heard that the city’s police officers backed Snyder for Portage mayor, and he also nabbed the official endorsement of the department’s Fraternal Order of Police — a rare accomplishment in my city for any mayoral candidate.

But it caught my attention for cops to actually go door to door with Snyder, the Republican candidate who lost by only 302 votes to incumbent Olga Velazquez in 2007.

“We’re behind him,” said Haynes, a longtime officer in the city.

Snyder also received an endorsement from the city’s firefighters, and he is confident of getting a similar endorsement soon from the city’s streets and sanitation workers.

“All 14 firefighters who live in the city are behind Jim Snyder,” he said confidently.

Snyder claims the city’s police officers are supporting him because they want respect from their administration and the ability to communicate openly with the mayor’s office, among other policy issues.

Portage Police Chief Mark Becker is at least one officer who is not supporting Snyder, and he believes the FOP endorsement vote is deceiving.

“If you review those in attendance at the FOP meeting when the endorsement vote was taken, you will find that approximately only a third of our active officers were present,” Becker said. “Also, plans to take the vote were not made known to all of the members, which may not have been in accordance with state FOP standards.”

“I am a member of the FOP and I was not told of the intended vote,” he added, noting that not all the officers in attendance voted in favor of the endorsement.

However, police officer Troy Williams, who’s been on the force for 15 years, said the FOP vote was indeed a unanimous vote.

Last Saturday, he too campaigned door to door with Snyder and confirmed that the overwhelming majority of his department is backing him.

“Jim Snyder has the type of leadership we’re looking for,” Williams said.

Another officer told me that “80 to 85 percent” of the police department is behind Snyder.

“It does say something if you are the current mayor and all the city departments are publicly endorsing another candidate,” the officer told me, asking for anonymity.

‘Public safety’ campaign cry

Regardless of exactly how many officers are behind Snyder, “public safety” has become his war cry during the campaign battle leading up to Election Day on Nov. 8.

He routinely reminds voters that the city’s police station was “closed” to the public on Jan. 1, 2010. What he means is that citizens must use a phone in the station lobby to talk with police or call 911.

“We should have a police station that has its doors open all the time,” Snyder said.

Becker said he has clerical personnel on duty from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, and on a more limited basis on Saturdays. Other police departments in the county also have a similar set up if not on a more limited basis.

“I fail to understand how a records clerk sitting behind a desk at 2 a.m. equates to increased public safety?” Becker asked. “Our crime rates are down (and) we consistently reach out to the public to help us identify problem areas.”

Snyder, a city resident since 2002, is a proud Republican who is pro-life regarding abortion, admires Ronald Reagan and believes in gun owners’ rights.

Although I never brought it up during our chat, he told me a few times that although he attended Fairhaven Bible College in Chesterton in his youth, he no longer is affiliated with the controversial church.

He’s also showed confidence in unseating Velazquez, citing several issues he has with the city under her reign. For starters, outsiders view the city as “anti-business” in regard to attracting and catering to new firms, eateries and factories.

“You don’t think that Olive Garden, Chili’s, and Chick-fil-A, for example, know how hard it is to do business in Portage?” he asked rhetorically. (Yet don’t be surprised by a pre-Election Day “surprise” of a Meier store coming to the city, he hinted.)

He also routinely reminds voters on his campaign trail that the city’s newest development project on Central Avenue is nothing more than a pricey unemployment office.

“You can call it a university center, and Ivy Tech has its name on the sign and will be there someday, but right now it’s a $6.1 million unemployment office,” he said, referring to the Workforce One building being built downtown. “Is that the best way to spend taxpayer dollars?”

Since meeting Snyder on my driveway last month, I’ve talked to dozens of Portage residents. Many are still on the fence regarding their choice for mayor, so next week I will talk to Velazquez for a follow-up column on these issues. Stay tuned.

07182011 - News Article - DeBoer hired as new Porter County magistrate

DeBoer hired as new Porter County magistrate
July 18, 2011 11:30 am
By Bob Kasarda
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/duneland/deboer-hired-as-new-porter-county-magistrate/article_3f795e81-9c46-5e17-9663-802d5a4bfae7.html 

Mary DeBoer takes over as Porter County magistrate Aug. 1, 2011.


VALPARAISO - After attempting to help Magistrate James Johnson dig his way out from under a backlog of court cases, Mary DeBoer has been named as Johnson's replacement.

The county's six judges chose DeBoer from 14 applicants, based in part on her experience as a full-time magistrate in Starke County and in helping the court in Porter County, Porter Superior Judge Roger Bradford said.

DeBoer said she is looking forward to getting back to work Aug. 1 on the court's divorce, probate and guardianship cases.

"I really love being on the bench," she said.

The county's judges announced in May that Johnson was resigning, wrapping up a 15-year career on the bench buried beneath an ongoing backlog of cases.

The backlog first came to light in July 2010, at which time DeBoer was brought in to help ease the load. The situation improved for a short time, but Johnson again fell behind.

DeBoer said she served as a full-time magistrate in Starke County during 2005 and 2006. She also had served as a deputy prosecutor there and in Porter County.

She and her husband, David, most recently have been in private practice together.











Applications being accepted for magistrate
June 15, 2011 1:30 pm
By Bob Kasarda
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/duneland/applications-being-accepted-for-magistrate/article_7b50cad9-8710-5f79-b9ce-e080b9381318.html

VALPARAISO - Applications are now being accepted for the position of magistrate of Porter Superior Court 1.

The application form is available in the court administrator's office on the fourth floor of the county courthouse.

A copy of the completed application must be submitted to each of the county's six judges on or before July 8.

A replacement is being sought for Magistrate James Johnson, who has stopped hearing cases and will officially retire Aug. 1.

Johnson had made the news after amassing a large backlog of cases.











Porter County magistrate resigns amid case backlog
By John Scheibel
Posted: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 6:45 pm
http://www.nwitimes.com/mobile/article_fa492759-e4bb-55d6-8099-607d733bd94d.html


VALPARAISO - A Porter County magistrate who had amassed a large backlog of cases has tendered his resignation.

Magistrate James Johnson will stop hearing cases at the end of this week and will officially retire Aug. 1, said Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford, who supervises Johnson. Johnson will use that time to clear the cases, Bradford said.

Johnson's backlog of cases came to light in July 2010 when the courts reported he had 97 cases he had not yet ruled on. A part-time probate commissioner was hired to help clear the backlog.

Bradford on Tuesday said the situation with Johnson's cases had improved for some time, but he had fallen behind again. Bradford did not disclose the number of cases pending currently before Johnson, but he did say it was not as high the 97 cases reported last summer.

Johnson is one of Porter County's two adult magistrates who handle divorce, estate and guardianship cases.
Johnson, 64, is a 1974 graduate of the Valparaiso University School of Law and served as a deputy public defender and deputy prosecutor. He was appointed as Porter County probate commissioner in April 1989 and became a magistrate in 1995.

Bradford said the selection process for Johnson's replacement will be decided at a June 14 meeting of all the Porter County judges.











Porter County magistrate stepping down 
By James D. Wolf Jr. Post-Tribune correspondent
May 24, 2011 4:54PM
Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM
http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/porter/5571828-418/porter-county-magistrate-stepping-down.html

VALPARAISO — Magistrate James Johnson tendered his resignation on Tuesday after serving 22 years on the bench.

The resignation follows a week where the 64-year-old Johnson was gone for an undisclosed illness. His last day is scheduled for Aug. 1.

"I’m not longer able to perform my duties," Johnson wrote in a resignation letter to Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford.

Johnson has a history of heart problems that have led to a caseload backup, necessitating the county judges to assign a probate commissioner to catch them up.
He recently had medical procedures done in January.

Bradford said that there is a backload of cases but "nowhere near what it was before."
Johnson wasn’t available for comment.

The six Porter County judges are responsible for selecting a replacement for Johnson, and they’ll announce a procedure for that after their June 14 meeting.

Johnson will no longer take on new cases as of the end of this week so that he can finish his current caseload by August.

Bradford said if the magistrate finishes one a day, he’ll be done with his caseload before August.

A magistrate usually handles divorce, family law and estate cases. In July 2010, Johnson had about 97 cases backlogged.

Johnson is a 1974 graduate of the Valparaiso University School of Law and has been a deputy public defender and a deputy prosecuting attorney.