Jay (Ceyhun) Karahan Elected Presiding Judge of Harris County Criminal Court
Pinar Polat, The Turkish Times, National Grassroots Editor - Jay (Ceyhun) Karahan is a first generation American born in Tampa, FL May 1st 1947. His father is originally from Mersin, Turkey and his mother from New York City, where they met. Jay was raised in Tampa and educated in the public school system. During high school he was active in student government and the performing arts. It was this passion for singing that inspired him to pursue a degree in Music Theory at the Florida State University where he graduated cum laude in 1978. In his senior year at FSU Judge Karahan landed the lead in the play, South Pacific, which unbeknownst to him was to be a seminal event in his life, ironically steering him away from the arts and towards law. At the conclusion of South Pacific, Judge Karahan met a professor and in the fateful conversation that ensued the seeds of a career that would be dedicated to law were sown. And so, Judge Karahan attended South Texas College of Law and received his JD in 1983, after which he passed the bar and began working full-time at the District Attorney's office.

He remained in the D.A.'s office until 1987, specializing in children's crime. The following four years he worked for the U.S. attorney as a federal prosecutor in the areas of child exploitation, child pornography, and white collar crime. Later, he joined the in-house litigation department of Cooper Industries, a Fortune 100 company at the time, as a compliance attorney where he interfaced with the Justice Department. In 1995 he founded Jay Karahan and Associates, a law firm specializing in the defense of criminal cases in both state and federal courts. He ran for district court bench in 1996 and was unsuccessful. There is something to be gained from every experience and though he lost the election, Judge Karahan values the recognition and support network his 1996 campaign established, which he believes contributed to his present success. That brings us to the recent elections where Judge Jay Karahan defeated Democrat Alfred G. "Al" Leal in the race to replace retiring Judge Neel Richardson. Judge Karahan took the bench as presiding judge of Harris County Criminal Court No.8 on January 1, 2003.

On Being a Judge…
With the fates of individuals largely endowed to his/her discernment, a judge possesses tremendous power - an arguably divine-like power. Along with this power a judge also inherits an immense responsibility, a responsibility to the individuals involved in each case, the justice system, whose fundamental principles and ideologies must be upheld, and to society at large. The act of passing judgment entails a fair amount of interpretation, which involves striking a delicate and complex balance between the presented "facts", academic knowledge, experience, personal insight, and inherent wisdom, and of course, the law. It is the struggle to achieve this crucial balance in each case that presents a unique challenge to a judge. When asked what personal and intellectual qualities are essential to best overcome these challenges in order to be a good and fair judge, Judge Karahan responded by saying that the "best tools" are being "open-minded, prepared to learn something new every day, and giving each person the best that one can." It is important to "listen actively to each person" in order to "fully understand the issues facing them."

On a Personal Note …
In his free time Judge Karahan enjoys golfing, singing and acting in his community theater, and working out at the gym. He was married for 10 years and is father to a 9 year old son.

On Being Turkish…
Judge Karahan, like many of our readers, is the product of two cultures, Turkish and American. This dual cultural identity no doubt affects the perspective in which those enriched with it view and appreciate the world. Indeed, Judge Karahan agrees, stating that his Turkish heritage has had, "a profound effect" on who he is today. "Having been raised by a Turkish father I got to see the world through different eyes." Observing the world through an additional pair of eyes must be illuminating, like watching a flat image morph into the brilliant depths of three dimensionality. His father, he says, "brings (with him a) rich cultural background", a strong "work ethic, loyalty, business acumen and spirituality", all which he instilled in his son. Recalling his first visit to Turkey at age twelve, Judge Karahan, remembers being mesmerized by the sea of vibrant sounds, smells, and visuals he found himself immersed in. The stirring sound of the ezan, radiating from dozens of mosques simultaneously and resonating throughout the ancient streets of Istanbul was mystifying. For this twelve year old, Turkey was a dazzling intellectual and sensory feast. "I knew I was in another world … it was a fantastic experience!"

As rewarding and enriching as it is to identify with two distinct cultures, there are times when individuals encounter various complexities associated with multiculturalism. Asked if he ever faced any such personal or professional difficulties, Judge Karahan replied that in his experience it was "always beneficial." This is not to say he is ignorant of the cultural obstacles that face some Turkish-Americans as he witnessed first hand the "great difficulties", such as language barriers, his father encountered "while setting up (his own) business." Fortunately, Judge Karahan reaped only the benefits of both worlds. He received much support from the Turkish-American community who 'reached out a helping hand', as the saying goes in Turkish. For Judge Karahan, being of Turkish descent opened many doors that may otherwise have remained closed.

Advice for the new generation …
The political and legislative domains are an area in which only a handful of Turkish-Americans professionally participate, a stark contrast to the robustly populated engineering, computer science, and other technical fields. There are numerous reasons for this trend, among them, residency time in the U.S., certainly a critical variable involved in the existence of this margin. And with the passing of time we will witness an eventual reduction in this professional gap. With this in mind we asked Judge Karahan how young Turkish-Americans can infiltrate the U.S. political/legislative domains, essentially what are the 'tricks-of-the-trade'? His response: "Network, network, network." He advises those interested in this field to become "active in political clubs" and get involved wherever they can. Unlike the technical fields mentioned earlier, politics/law is not just about how book smart you are (though it is important), but equally as important, about how you interact with the community. Judge Karahan has generously offered encouragement and support to any Turkish-American interested in politics or law.

The Future…
So what does the future hold for Judge Karahan? Well, he is in the midst of getting adjusted to his new position and wishes to learn more and "be the best judge". For the time being he is focused on directing his energies into his court, but his philosophy is based on a "wiling(ness) to change direction" and grow.

Please send all your local news and success stories to our National Grassroots Editor Pinar Polat at pinarpolat@hotmail.com.