An Assault on the Independence of the JQC
by Arman Deganian
President, DeKalb Bar Association
litnerlaw.com
As some of you may know, the State Judicial Qualifications Committee has been under fire recently in Georgia. Representative Johnnie Caldwell has spearheaded an attempt to dismantle the judicial watchdog agency. The ballot in the November election will include a proposed constitutional amendment to rid the State of the JQC. If the ballot passes, the independent agency would be removed from the constitution and replaced with one that answers directly to the state legislature. The JQC is a constitutionally mandated agency that polices the judicial branch in Georgia. The JQC has by no means been perfect. In fact, many of us have had qualms with the speed (or lack thereof) that they have addressed serious potential instances of judicial misconduct in the past. However, the motivation behind the November ballot appears to be nothing but political and potentially retributive in nature.
Dar’shun Kendrick has represented House District 93, which includes East DeKalb and South Gwinnett, ever since being elected at the age of 27 in 2011. Born and raised in Atlanta, she attended Towers High School in DeKalb County where she graduated at the top of her class. She then went on to Oglethorpe University where she graduated in 2004 receiving a dual degree in political science and communications. She enrolled in the University of Georgia School of Law and graduated in 2007 with a focus on corporate law.