Gender issue raised in judge race

Sandy Thompson

Friday, Nov. 3, 2000 | 11:09 a.m.

Candidates for Family Court judge in the newly created Department I said voters should not make a decision in the race based solely on gender or marital status.

The issue arose after one of the candidates, Phil Beuth, began running television campaign ads pointing out that his opponent, Cheryl Moss, is single with no children. In the ad, several women are seated around a kitchen table discussing who to vote for in the race. They said they would vote for Beuth because he is a married father.

The implication is that a married father would make better decisions as a Family Court judge than a single woman with no children.

Beuth defended the ad, which has been criticized in some circles for raising gender issues.

"The ad started a dialogue so women wouldn't blindly vote for a woman," Beuth said. "We tried to counter the point female candidates have been making to equalize the gender of the court.

"If a woman indicates that her gender means she will be more compassionate in Family Court, then why can't a parent make a case for compassion?"

Beuth said it was a "valid point to raise," and that no attack was meant.

Moss said she has not discussed gender in the campaign, but has focused on her experience, working with pro-bono clients and her desire to work with other attorneys and judges.

"There is no gender issue. That's something he (Beuth) fabricated in his mind," she said.

Moss and Beuth do agree that the main issue in the race should be experience.

Moss pointed out that she has 13 years' legal experience. Beuth said he has six years' legal experience, plus 20 years in business management and marketing. However, he said, it's his "human experience" as a divorced father that gives him a better perspective to serve as a Family Court judge.

Moss disagreed, again pointing to her experiences as a family law attorney. She said she won't counter his "attack ad" with one of her own. "I'm running a clean campaign," she said.