Letter: Supports Hardin, Bibey

Home Opinion Letter: Supports Hardin, Bibey
To the Editor:
The most highly contested race on the Republican ballot is the District 29 DA race between Mike Hardin and Arthur Donadio.  The discerning will vote Hardin.  
Hardin has 23 years of “prosecutorial” experience, not some prosecutorial experience and much courtroom experience. Heavy prosecutorial experience is imperative for a D.A.  Hardin has handled rapes, homicides, and capital murder cases. 
Hardin has been the Assistant D.A. in Hoke and Scotland counties, having worked under Kristy Newton, a top-notch D.A.  Hardin has been a prosecuting attorney for decades. 
Hardin’s opponent was once a criminal attorney for quite some time.  I appreciate criminal attorneys. They offer defendants the “best possible defense,” a constitutional right under the law. But I do not want my D.A. to have spent years acting as a criminal attorney.  Inevitably, a criminal attorney, while defending those falsely accused, has also defended those justly accused, perhaps unintentionally thwarting justice at times.  I want a D.A. who has always been the guy after the criminal!  Mike Hardin is that man. 
Donadio’s questionable donations, substantiated by State Board of Elections’ records, pale as issues when compared to the two most serious issues surrounding this race – who has the most prosecutorial experience? Who is the most prepared to be D.A.?  It is Hardin. 
The N.C. District 19 Court Judge seat is up for grabs. Marissa Curry vs. Steve Bibey! Bibey is the best qualified of the two. Bibey is a 20-year retired vet. He was a former police officer of 10 years and also a county deputy.  He was elected District Court judge and served from 2014-2018. He holds a Juris Doctorate from NC Central School of Law and a B.S. in Criminology from Gardner-Webb.  He was activated for Desert Storm.  Vote Bibey for Judge —District 19 – Seat 4.

Barbara Richie Pond
Raeford