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Clark trial commissioner files for judge

January 30, 2007|Emily Salmon

The current district trial commissioner for Clark and Madison counties filed Jan. 19 to be considered for a new judge's position for the 25th judicial district.

A native of Clark County, David G. Perdue graduated from George Rogers Clark High School in 1977 and earned a bachelor's degree from Eastern Kentucky University in 1981. He received a law degree from the University of Kentucky in 1984.

Perdue has served as the district's trial commissioner since 2003. That year, one of three district court judges was designated a family court judge, leaving two district judges with the same case load as before, Perdue said.

Judges William Clouse and Brandy Oliver Brown asked him to serve as trial commissioner, where he conducts arraignments in criminal cases, reviews and issues search and arrest warrants, sets bonds in criminal cases, conducts temporary juvenile detention hearings, reviews and issues emergency protective orders. He also has the authority to conduct preliminary proceedings in mental health cases and forcible detainer cases, and admit wills to probate.

Aside from his work as trial commissioner, Perdue also opened his own law office in 1995. It is located on Main Street in Winchester. He said that through his work, he has tried to make his corner of the world a little bit better "one person at a time, one case at a time."

"I realized a long time ago that I was not going to change the world, but at the same time I realized that you can make a tremendous difference in your community and neighborhood," he said. "That's what I want to do in district court."

If he gets the position, he wants to bring more involvement in Teen Drug Court over to Clark County.

"Drugs are ravaging our community," he said. "If we stop the use of them at an early age, we have a much better chance at success."

Perdue started his legal career in general practice in Winchester in 1984. He represented people in wills and other probates, personal injury cases, bankruptcy and collection cases, worker's compensation, criminal defense cases, juvenile cases and family law issues.

He has served as guardian ad litem in cases, meaning that he was an attorney appointed by the court to represent children who came before the court, and as a contract public defender, representing individuals accused of criminal offenses who could not afford an attorney. He was also assistant county attorney under former county attorney Gardner Wagers.

He has been married to his wife, Patricia, for almost 20 years.

According to the Web site for Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, six people have filed for the Division 3 district judge seat: David G. Perdue and Elizabeth Elkins Bond of Winchester, and Earl Ray Neal, Jud Patterson, Thomas J. Smith III and Wes Browne, all of Richmond. The Sun will publish profiles of each candidate.

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