Countless times while growing up, my father would say, "If you want to measure a man's worth, do the following:
1. Shake his hand. You can tell the honor a man has in a good, honest handshake.
2. See how he treats his wife. If he's a caring and compassionate man, you'll see it when he's with her.
3. Watch how he treats his children. A father's love is undeniable and expressed without regret."
I haven't known Joe and Mary Sutton long, but in the last few years my family has known them, I have had the opportunity to experience these things with his family. I have shaken his hand, and looked in his eye and seen the honor he is famous for in his courtroom.
I have witnessed how he opens the door and dances with his wife. I have seen smiles they share in a good laugh. The respect he holds for her is admirable, a quality we all desire in the judges we put in our courtrooms.
And when my brother married his youngest daughter, I witnessed the last measure of this man's worth. I saw him take his daughter by the hand, and reluctantly but lovingly walk her down the aisle. I saw the love he held in a father's heart when they shared their vows and when he was able to dance with her at the reception.
So for me, when I cast my vote for Joe, I'm casting for a man that has a good handshake, a deep respect for his wife and a love for family that transcends into his job with objectivity and a fairness that is necessary in an ever-changing culture. All qualities that will leave us with little room for doubt where this man's passion lies, in the law he loves that gives him the freedom to lead the honorable life he does.
