The 2020 list of five candidates for one of the Gwinnett County Superior Court judge positions was unusually long, and filled with a number of hopefuls who it would appear were ill suited to serve in any judicial capacity. In the June 9th election, voters strongly rejected a number of candidates, leading to an August 11th run-off (early voting started on July 20th) between incumbent Superior court Judge Kathy Schrader and challenger Deborah Fluker.
After reviewing the qualifications and experience of both candidates, Judge Kathy Schrader is clearly the best choice. Schrader uses the term “Courageous Leadership” on her web site and her actions demonstrate that it is more than a campaign slogan. Schrader, who has been a superior court judge since 2012, isn’t afraid to go where necessary to make positive changes.
Obviously, Schrader’s recent trial for computer trespassing raises questions in some people’s minds. But the fact that a jury could not reach a decision speaks volumes about a clear lack of compelling evidence. Using the resources of the Georgia Ethics group, we found that there’s a lot more to the story than has been reported by local media. There is always a back story and it seems as though prosecutions in Gwinnett County often have more to do with personal conflicts than with unlawful activity. Our investigation indicates that’s likely the situation here.
Schrader’s run-off opponent, Deborah Fluker, is also an experienced judge, but her campaign literature leaves us with some serious doubts about her. She appears to be playing fast and loose with the truth. A recent campaign flyer stated that she is, “The ONLY candidate in this race currently presiding as a Judge in Superior Court.” Yet, as can be seen from the accompanying page from the Gwinnett County courts web site, she is NOT listed as a Superior Court Judge.
In fact, Fluker is a Magistrate Court judge who real Superior Court judges designate to help them when they feel the need. While her campaign claim may not be entirely false, it is essentially untrue.
Consequently, Judge Schrader’s record, combined with her being named in 2018, to receive the JUSTICE ROBERT BENHAM AWARD for Community Service, leaves no doubt that she is the superior candidate for Superior Court Judge.
