In many cases, judges are not often very popular among the masses.

Forced to make difficult decisions on a daily basis, these officials are tasked with a challenging job that often portrays them as the “bad guys,” so to speak.

One of the characteristics that separates a good judge from a bad judge is his or her desire to benefit the people he or she serves. This seems like a silly prerequisite — one that any judge in their right mind could fulfill, but unfortunately that is not always the case.

We’re sure it can be easy to become jaded by the constant heartbreak witnessed, the recidivism of offenders who just can’t seem to learn their lessons, the families that are torn apart through divorce and other difficult circumstances.

The mark of a good judge is of course the fairness and ability to stick to the laws as outlined by our legal system, but what makes an exceptional judge is one who goes above and beyond the call of duty to make the region he or she serves a better world for the people who live in it.

These exceptional judges refuse to give up on humanity, and instead of passing down harsher sentences or making hasty decisions based on past experience, they focus on what good they can do to solve the problem, and how they can make the judicial process easier for all involved.

One of these exceptional judges, the Hon. Susan Dobrich, was honored for such efforts recently because of her dedication to the CASA program in Cass County.

Of course we can’t say for certain that Judge Dobrich has never made a bad decision, that she has always been completely fair or that she is the best judge the region has to offer, but what we can say is that we support her efforts to bolster the community and her undying desire to make the best of what is often a bad situation.

Judge Dobrich understands the importance of making children comfortable in the courtroom, of finding a caring person for each child forced to endure the judicial process and of making those children feel like they are not alone.

For these reasons, we feel Judge Dobrich was more than deserving of the honor she received from the Michigan CASA organization, and we truly believe Cass County is lucky to have her as a leader.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.