Early voting is underway in Fulton County. Thousands of voters are flooding the polls each week to cast their ballots for the candidate that will make a difference. One of these races in for a vacant seat is the Fulton County Superior Court.

In general, the Superior Court grants divorces, adjudicates guilt or innocence in criminal cases, sentences individuals convicted of crimes. It also issues final orders in cases involving real property disputes and makes final rulings in multi-million dollar disputes between parties involved in civil litigation matters.

As we forge ahead toward Election Day on November 4th, here is a look at several key questions addressed by Patrise Perkins Hooker, proudly named “Super Lawyer” by her peers.

Patrise Perkins Hooker has spent 24 years representing numerous clients in a variety of legal areas. She has been a part-time Magistrate Court Judge for Fulton County and has received an award from the Georgia Supreme Court for Outstanding Community Service. 

Question #1. Why are you running for judge?

Answer: I think a judicial position is the highest level of public service for a lawyer. Throughout my career, I have always tried to contribute my time and talents to improving the community. I would like to use my experiences and talents as an attorney to help our judicial system contribute to improving the quality of life for Fulton citizens.

Question #2. How has your professional experience and training prepared you to serve on the Superior Court?

Answer: Throughout my career, I have handled a wide variety of legal cases, including criminal cases, real estate disputes, divorce and child custody, zoning, personal injury, business disputes, and other civil litigation matters. I have been a magistrate judge and a court-appointed special master, reviewing complex cases on behalf of Fulton County judges. I have practical experience with being a judge; I have legal experience in a wide variety of issues that the Superior Court deals with, and I have more community service and experience than any of my opponents. I have been trained to see things from a multitude of perspectives. I am a lawyer who also has an MBA and has worked as a CPA. All of my work experience enables me to be better prepared to handle the demands associated with this high court.

Question #3. How have you applied your legal experience to help the community outside the courtroom?

Answer: I have been involved extensively with programs mentoring, nurturing, and enriching the lives of young people in Fulton County. I helped found the Juvenile Justice Fund (JJF), which was created to help raise funds and develop auxiliary programs for the Fulton County Juvenile Court, and served as chair of that organization for more than seven years. During that time I led the effort to establish Angela’s House, a safe house with comprehensive social services, to restore the esteem, mental health and social well being of young women who have been victims of child sexual exploitation. In addition, JJF raised the awareness and got legislation passed to make it a felony to pimp children under the age of 16.

Other volunteer experiences include founding the award-winning tutorial programs for Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta, serving as the Vice Chair of the State Bar’s Commission on Children and the Courts, and serving as a attorney and guardian ad litem for the Truancy Intervention Program (TIP) for more than 15 years. More recently, I helped create a Summer Law Camp that teaches high school students about the practice of law. That program has been adopted by a national legal organization, which hopes to expand the program nationally.  

I have also served as President of the Gate City Bar Association and have been a member of the State Bar Board of Governors for eight years. I also serve on the State Bar’s Investigative Panel and am currently the Secretary-Treasurer of the Real Property Law Section.

Question #4. What will you do as judge?

Answer: I want to be a judge who is part of a dialogue with the community and stakeholder organizations, exploring ways to prevent or deter crime. I plan on running an efficient courtroom so that parties to a case –whether on trial for burglary or a business involved in a civil dispute – do not have to wait years for a decision or resolution. And, I will treat people with dignity and respect.

For more information about Patrise Perkins Hooker as Superior Court Judge for Fulton County, log onto www.patrisehookerforjudge.com. 

###########

The proceeding was an unedited press release, shown as received from the party represented. We've elected to present selected releases without editorial comment, as a way to provide our readers more information without further overtaxing our limited editorial resources. To avoid any possible confusion or conflict of interest, NorthFultonTimes.com will always clearly distinguish between company-provided press releases and our own editorial views and content.