ANNOUNCEMENT SPEECH
MARCH 4, 2008
BAY COUNTY COURTHOUSE

For almost two years now, you have been hearing the rumor that Judge Hess is going to resign from the bench to run for State Attorney. I didn't start the rumor, but today I want to put it to rest:

I'm Running

For as long as you have been hearing that rumor, I have been hearing a question: Why would a Judge leave a secure seat on the Circuit bench to run for State Attorney?

That's a good question. It's a question that deserves an answer . . .

Unfortunately, it's an answer that I cannot sugar-coat. Plainly put:  It has been a long time since anyone has felt good about our State Attorney's Office.  Four years ago, after assignments in Gulf and Washington Counties, I returned to the Bay County criminal bench to find a State Attorney's Office that tried less than one felony case each week. I found a State Attorney's Office that is addicted to plea bargaining and accepting of defeat. I found young lawyers laboring without the benefit of training and without supervision.

The State Attorney election was on the horizon. Anticipating the enthusiasm that is naturally expected of a new administration, I waited for change. It didn't happen.

The State Attorney's Office continued to plea bargain 99% of its cases – primarily for probation. But that is understandable. When the State Attorney's Office does go to trial a defense verdict can be expected 50% of the time. As a judge, I was frustrated.

When I tried to guide a young prosecutor through a proceeding from the bench, the defense attorney called me down for "coaching". He was right. The problem of untrained prosecutors is something I could not fix from the bench.

As an Army Officer, I learned the value of training and leadership. Both are lacking in our State Attorney's Office. The State Attorney has never appeared in my courtroom to check on his troops. Neither has his Chief Assistant. And the need for training remains unmet.

We can do better.

Now, I recognize that the citizens of this Circuit do not appreciate mud-slinging political campaigns. The race for the State Attorney's Office in 2004 was just plain ugly. I didn't like it. Neither did you.

Thousands of voters who went to the polls refused to cast their ballot in the State Attorney election. It is widely believed that the undervote was a response to the toxic tenor of that race.

We don't need to go through that again. This afternoon, I pledge to run a campaign that will be worthy of your vote. I want to build a better State Attorney's Office, and you can't do that with mud.

Fourteen years ago, I ran for the office of Circuit Judge. Because of the rules governing judicial candidates, I was not permitted to talk about issues, but I was permitted to listen. This is what you told me.

First and foremost, you wanted a judge who is fair.

You wanted a judge with an open mind.

You wanted a judge who would listen to you and who would treat you with dignity.

You wanted a judge with the capacity for compassion.

You wanted a judge with common sense.

And you wanted a judge with the courage to do the right thing.

I have done the job that you elected me to do. I have done my best to be the judge that you wanted me to be.

Now I am running for the office of State Attorney. It's a different job, but it is a job that my experience on the bench has uniquely qualified me to do. I have been in the courtroom and I know what needs to be done to build a better State Attorney's Office – to build a State Attorney's Office you can finally feel good about.

So, what is the difference between the office of the Circuit Judge and that of State Attorney? Certainly, the State Attorney must be competent in the courtroom. But the State Attorney should be so much more.

The State Attorney should be a leader. A leader must have an objective -- he must know where he is going and he must instill in his followers his sense of purpose. A leader must have a steady hand. It is hard to follow someone who flip-flops.

The State Attorney should have a strong work ethic.

The State Attorney should be a good manager. Since January of 2005, the Legislature has increased the funding for our State Attorney's Office by $2 million.

What have we gotten for that money? I promise you we haven't seen it in the courtroom. But if you watch television, you will see a bunch of public service announcements. And if you check the State Attorney's parking lot you'll find a slew of new state-owned pickup trucks. In fact, our State Attorney's Office has more than 25 trucks and SUVs. Yet our prosecutors come to court without equipment they need to present evidence using the new technology we have installed in our courtrooms.

The State Attorney's Office is the courtroom arm of our law enforcement effort. It shouldn't be a trucking company.

The State Attorney must have a willingness to work with our police departments and our Sheriffs' offices. I understand the value of teamwork. As a recon team leader in Viet Nam, I understood that my life depended on it. And as a coach I understand that a team of Davids will beat a gang of Goliaths.

The State Attorney should also be a coach. When a law student graduates, he or she is ready to take the bar exam but it takes training to make a trial lawyer. Our State Attorney's Office doesn't have an on-going training program -- and it shows. I am ready to coach this team up to the next level.

The State Attorney should have a moral compass.

The State Attorney should have the confidence of our law enforcement community.

And just like a Judge – the State Attorney should have the courage to do the right thing.

If these are the values you want in your State Attorney, you really just have one choice.

I'm Glenn Hess.

I'm running for State Attorney and I promise to build a State Attorney's Office we can be proud of.

Please vote for Glenn Hess on November 4th.