Hal Moroz

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Hal Moroz

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 9, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of the State of New York, 1979

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1976 - 2002

Personal

Birthplace

New York, N.Y.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Hal Moroz ran for election for judge of the Georgia Supreme Court. He lost in the general election on June 9, 2020.

Moroz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Hal Moroz was born in Brooklyn, New York. He served in the U.S. Army from 1976 to 2002. Moroz received a bachelor's degree from the University of the State of New York in Albany in 1979 and attended the University of the District of Columbia School of Law, St. John's University, and the Army War College for graduate study. His professional experience includes working as an attorney, serving as an assistant district attorney, county judge, and city chief judge. Moroz is licensed to practice law in Georgia and Washington, D.C. He has been a member of the Georgia Bar, the D.C. Bar, The Federalist Society, the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Elections

2020

See also: Georgia Supreme Court elections, 2020

General election

General election for Georgia Supreme Court

Incumbent Sarah Warren defeated Hal Moroz in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on June 9, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sarah Warren (Nonpartisan)	78.7	1,652,532
		Hal Moroz (Nonpartisan)	21.3	446,026

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,098,558
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Hal Moroz completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Moroz's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Hal Moroz, and I am running for Justice on the Supreme Court of Georgia.

I served in the military, and later as an Assistant District Attorney, a County Judge, and a City Chief Judge in the Great State of Georgia. I've prosecuted criminals in the State of Georgia and represented military veterans in courts up to and including the United States Supreme Court. Everything about my life has been SERVICE to a cause greater than self!

I am running for this office to serve the good citizens of Georgia as a Justice on Georgia's highest Court, and to reclaim the foundations upon which our great state and country were founded. I support the Constitution, and a return to common sense in our judiciary.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Experience: Having Justices reflect the diversity of our communities, including those like myself who held careers in the military, in my case the Army, where my home was Fort Benning, is a good thing for the Interests of Justice.
• Common Sense: Highlighting and Integrating the Rights of Victims in our courtrooms, and revisiting notions like trial court judges acting as a "13th juror" to nullify the verdicts of juries in criminal cases is a priority of mine. These types of cases always favor the defendants, and never side with the State or the other Constitutionally recognized jurors.
• Justice: Strict adherence to the Constitution as written, and never substituting the will of the judge for what the law actually says, is my priority. Judicial activism is wrong, and such "creation" of the law is best left to the Legislature, not the Judiciary.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am running for this office to serve the good citizens of Georgia as a Justice on Georgia's highest Court, and to reclaim the foundations upon which our great state and country were founded. I support the Constitution, and a return to common sense in our judiciary.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to the legions of American military personnel who served our country in war and peace. Their example reminds me of the fact that Freedom is not free, and that our freedoms are not free, but are preserved through generations of service and sacrifice.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Making of a Supreme Court Justice by Judge Hal Moroz (2019).

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, Leadership, and Judgment.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

My ability to communicate, listen, lead, learn, manage resources, and problem-solve will make me successful as a Supreme Court Justice in service to the citizens of the Great State of Georgia.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Impartiality with regard to parties, Fairness and Wisdom in Judgment, and Adherence to the Constitution as written.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That at a time in our history when the Judiciary strayed from its well-defined, constitutional role of strictly interpreting the Law, individuals from our communities with diverse backgrounds, including military veterans, served the State of Georgia and America by stepping forward to serve in our Judiciary as Judges and Justices.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, in November of 1963. I was 5 years old, and the reporting of his assassination and funeral were carried non-stop on television. My father, who served in the South Pacific during World War II in the U.S. Navy, died the month before.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was as a Soldier in the United States Army. I joined the military when I was 17 years old in 1976, and retired in September of 2002, a year following the 9-11 attacks upon America.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Bible. It has all of the answers to the problems facing mankind.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Captain America.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"God Bless the U.S.A." by Lee Greenwood

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Seeing wrongs in our communities and institutions, and constantly fighting to right them.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Justices of the Georgia Supreme Court, as well as in the United States Supreme Court, are there to act as neutrals in cases and controversies, NOT political partisans or partisans with personal agendas. It is the role of the Justice to state what the Law is, not what they would like it to be. And the guiding document to determine adherence with the Law is the Constitution.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

Judges and Justices have well-defined roles in the Constitution and caselaw precedent. It is the role of the Judge and the Justice to interpret the Law, NOT to create Law or divine it to suit the will of the judge. Judicial Activism is wrong. And the Constitution must be strictly adhered to as it was written.

If you are not a sitting judge, do you have any previous judicial experience? Do you believe it’s important to have that kind of experience for this judgeship?

My service in the military and later as a county and city judge are important in the judicial representation of a diverse citizenry in Georgia that includes a large military presence and an exceedingly large veteran population. My background is unique to the Supreme Court of Georgia, and desperately needed.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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Government

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External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• 2020 campaign website
• 2020 campaign Facebook page
• Hal Moroz on Twitter

Footnotes

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