Letter: Crossing party lines to endorse constable candidate

By Barry R. Goldman

The race for constable in the Republican Primary for the Maricopa-Stanfield Justice Court Precinct was a close and hard-fought election, but it’s not over. The General Election in November has yet to determine the final winner.

Most people would expect a Republican to throw support to the winning candidate of that party. But I can’t.

Believe me, it’s not sour grapes. I got to know each of the Republican candidates, and, unfortunately, the winner left a sour taste left in my mouth from my experience with him during the course of the primary campaign. I believe Bill Griffin took the high road during the campaign, and is an honest man. I can’t say the same for the other. That’s why I cannot support him.

The constable candidate should be ethical, honest and fair dealing in every way. I believe at the least, the Republican primary winner exaggerated his experience and abilities trying to gain political advantage. He’s unqualified, in my opinion. Being truthful about oneself matters.

The duties of the constable are to serve and execute papers for the Justice Court, and once in office, they must receive mandatory training per statute. Just because someone is a member of the Sheriff’s Posse does not give him the training or experience to be a constable. I should know – I’ve been a process server for over 31 years and am a qualified Continuing Legal Education instructor for process servers. We do many of the same things that constables do.

The duties of the constable cross party lines, regardless of who holds the office – it’s not a legislative position. I therefore have to look at the person who is the best fit for the job, regardless of their party affiliation. Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, pick the person whom you want to hire, not the party. For the constable, party affiliation really doesn’t mean anything, because everyone can get served.

Barrry R. Goldman is a process server and resident of Maricopa.