Understanding our Judicial System w/Judge Michael Landrum | BOLD
This is the thirteenth installment of BOLD - A University of St. Thomas Podcast, a series that creates a dialogue and aims to inspire, encourage and aid students—current and prospective— to “Be Your Bold Self.” New episodes are published bi-weekly. If you have an idea for a potential podcast guest or topic, send them to maxstudios@stthom.edu
Alex Yemeck speaks with Judge Michael Landrum '73, a judge in the 164th district court, about today's tension in the judicial system. Landrum explains the difference between civil case and a criminal case, how that relates to recent court cases regarding police brutality and what steps need to be taken in order to restore a sense of trust in the judicial system across the nation. He also touches on his reelection campaign and lays out how running for a position in the judicial system differs from running for office in the executive and legislative systems.
Watch the video version of the Podcast here.
Overview:
01:34 - Getting Reacquainted with Judge Michael Landrum
04:50 - What is a Criminal Case
06:08 - What is a Civil Lawsuit
06:50 - Difference Between Criminal and Civil
13:45 - Rebuilding Trust in the Justice System
15:30 - The Real Meaning of Justice
20:05 - Putting the Judicial System to Use
22:25 - Why Landrum is Running for Judge
For Landrum, being a Judge comes with great responsibility.
“To be a good judge - to be a good person - but to be a good judge one has to have respect. And that is unvarnished, you can’t have a little bit of respect, you must have complete respect - Respect for the law, because I have sworn to uphold the law. Respect for the people, people come to court and they are under great stress, they are concerned and scared to death, and they deserve to be treated with respect the same way all people deserve to be treated with respect. Respect for the lawyers - we expect them to be professional and know their business. And respect for the jurors. These are people who come from all walks of life to help us do our jobs,” Landrum said. “In every case that comes up, that is the most important case to the people in it, so I need to treat that case as the most important case while I am hearing it.”
Learn more about Judge Landrum
