The four candidates for the position as Effingham County magistrate judge tried to extol their own virtues during a Thursday night forum.

The forum, the second of two sponsored by LIFE, the Effingham Herald and Effingham Now, was held at the Effingham County Board of Education’s auditorium. With longtime magistrate Preston Exley not running for re-election, Scott Hinson, Scott Lewis, Stan Mann and Solomon Smith are vying to replace him.

Smith was in the Leadership Effingham class in 2005 and Dr. Michael Moore, the class’ instructor, issued the participants a challenge to get involved.

“Ever since that challenge, I’ve felt that desire,” he said.

Smith has run his own property management company for 23 years, which he started during his 25 years at Union Camp.

“I feel I’ve got a lot of experience in magistrate court,” he said.

Having managed more than 100 properties and been involved in mediation cases, Smith said he’s been in several magistrate courts.

“I can tell you, by far, Effingham County is the best one I’ve been in,” he said. “The papers are served promptly and the people are courteous. I want to continue that.”

Mann said his background is in the grocery business and he also has 10 years in running an insurance agency. He too has run his own business. Mann said it would be tough to match what Judge Exley has accomplished and the standard he has set.

Mann would like to set up a returned check coordinator in the office.

“I have a background in employee relationships and have experience as a retailer,” he said.

Lewis, who has been with the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office for 16 years and started out as a junior firefighter.

He’s now an assistant patrol commander with the ECSO.

“I feel I have a lot of experience I can bring to the table,” Lewis said. “We deal with just about everything the magistrate court does, except for judgments up to $15,000.

Hinson, who currently chairs the Effingham Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneur Friendly Task Force, spoke on his 23 years of business experience, including 10 years of running his own business.

“As a business person, I’ve done business in the magistrate court,” he said.

The magistrate court changed its name 25 years ago from justice of the peace, and Hinson wants to use the Internet to increase awareness of what the magistrate does. He wants to have a frequently asked questions section, develop a pamphlet similar to what the state court has and even run an ad a couple of times a year “to get the public aware that this is their court … that they don’t have to have a lawyer,” he said.

Lewis said he would like to put up a list of county ordinances. “A lot of county ordinances are being violated every day, and people don’t know they are being violated.”

Mann suggested holding seminars periodically on the duties of the magistrate court.

“One of the first questions I get asked is, ‘what does the magistrate court do?’” Mann said.

Smith pointed to Exley speaking to local civic clubs to explain to them what his office handles.

“Unfortunately, some people only become aware of it or involved it in the wrong way,” he said.

Smith said taking issues to magistrate court could head off potentially larger conflicts between neighbors.