Office: Clermont County – Clermont County Court of Common Pleas,
General Division
Age: 66
Residence: Batavia, OH
Email: N/A
Website: N/A
Occupation: Judge, Clermont County Court of Common Pleas, General
Division
Education: B.A. (Political Science), University of Cincinnati, 1973,
M.P.A. (Public Administration), University of Cincinnati, 1974, J.D.,
University of Cincinnati, 1977
Work Experience: I was a practicing attorney in Clermont County from
1978 through 1991. I have served continuously as a judge in Clermont
County since February 1991, and have been a judge of the Clermont
County Court of Common Pleas since January 1995.
Family: I am divorced with four children and one grandchild. Two of my
daughters are attorneys, and my youngest daughter will be a student at
The Ohio State University this fall. My son is a geologist in Connecticut.
Affiliations: I am currently President of the Ohio Council of County Officials and have participated on a continuous basis as a member of various committees and subcommittees of the Ohio Judicial Conference. I have been involved in various local youth sports organizations for many years and have made contributions to various charitable organizations. I have been a member for many years of the Milford United Methodist Church.
Endorsements: Clermont County Republican Party
Bar Association Ratings: N/A
(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years):
Judge of the Clermont County Court of Common Pleas January 1,
1995- present Elected in 1994 and re-elected in 2000, 2006, and 2012
Have presided over approximately 200 jury trials Have handled a
caseload of approximately 600 cases per year Judge of the Clermont
County Municipal Court January 1, 1992- December 31, 1994 Elected
in November 2001 Judge of the Clermont County Court February
2001- December 31, 2001 Appointed by Governor George Voinovich
to ×ll a vacancy Referee of the Clermont County Court of Common
Pleas January 1983- October 1983 Appointed by Administrative Judge
John Watson
(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a
judge?
I am currently President of the Ohio Council of County Officials and
have participated on a continuous basis as a member of various
committees and subcommittees of the Ohio Judicial Conference. I am
studious and work very hard to keep up with changes in the law and
with opinions of higher courts that may affect how I decide cases that
will come before me. I was a practicing attorney in Clermont County for
approximately 13 years (1978-1991) prior to being appointed a judge
of the Clermont County Court. My practice involved a wide variety of
matters which provided a solid background for me in terms of being a
judge. I have been very involved in the high school mock trial program
in Ohio, providing training for volunteer judges, serving as a
coordinator for the Clermont County district and regional
competitions, and serving as a member of the state competition
committee.
(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I was given the opportunity to become a judge in February 1991 when Governor Voinovich appointed me to ×ll a vacancy as a Judge of the Clermont County Court. Since then, I have been a judge continuously and have been a Common Pleas Court Judge since January 1, 1995. I greatly enjoy the work involving in being a judge and the interactions that I have with other judges, attorneys, and the public. I enjoy the intellectual challenge of dealing with difficult issues and cases. I enjoy making decisions and feeling after I make each decision that I have done my best to make the correct decision. I look forward to going to court each day just as much today as I did when I was first appointed as a judge. I feel that I am well-qualified to be a Common Pleas Judge in Clermont County and would like to be able to continue my service to the citizens of Clermont County as a Judge of the Common Pleas Court.