I know the election for judges is maddening, especially for folks who do not interact with the courts. And, because most folks know so little, I thought I would take this opportunity to say why I support and will vote for Judge Lisa M. Rau's retention on Tuesday, November 8, 2011.

Judge Rau, before she was a judge, was a labor lawyer who fought and won the right for women to become fire-fighters here in Philadelphia. She worked for Kaires-Rudovski, and The Public Interest Law Center... before becoming a judge, her entire legal life was public interest law.

When she became a judge, she was criticized by the Lynne Abraham's office because she did not automatically, in all cases, assume that police were telling the truth. She listened to the facts, and like a judge should, when she heard discrepancies, she did not ignore them. She then became a target of Lynne Abraham.

In her years on the bench, she has treated everyone in her courtroom with respect and fairness. She truly believes in giving all people their day in court to be heard. She sees the humanity of each and every person that comes into her courtroom. In this day and age where it seems that only those with resources, or privilege prevail in courts, it is essential to have someone like Judge Rau be there for everyone!

I know this about Judge Rau because I know her. I have known her for over 10 years. I work in the legal community by day and am an activist, pretty much the rest of the time. I know how important it is to have good judges, and with Lisa Rau, we do... lets all make sure we keep her. So, please, on Nov 8th, vote for Lisa M. Rau... you don't have to vote for all the judges, just the ones you know you want to support. I hope you will support Judge Rau.

For those that may not know me, I was on the national staff of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, have worked for AFSC here in Philly, currently serve on the national board of War Resister's League and am a part of the legal collective offering support for Occupy Philly. My day job is working for a criminal defense attorney here in Philly that represents many activists, and has for decades.

Thanks for reading this... now vote!
Jody Dodd