Office: Massillon Municipal Court
Age: 60
Residence: Massillon, OH
Email: fichterlaw@sssnet.com
Website: www.joelfichter.com
Occupation: Magistrate, Massillon Municipal Court
Education: J.D. from The University of Akron 1984; B.A. from Bowling Green State University 1981; Massillon Washington High School 1977.
Work Experience: Magistrate, Massillon Municipal Court 2008 – present; private practice 2004 – 2007; Stergios & Kurtzman Co., LPA 1984 -2004.
Family: Married to Christine for 28 years, 3 sons.
Affiliations: Catholic; numerous civic/community/professional affiliations, including Western Stark County Homeless Task Force, Community Hospice, YMCA, and youth sports.
Endorsements: AFL-CIO Hall of Fame Central Labor Council; United Steelworkers of America Local 1124; International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2280; Coalition of Women Voters; Stark County Prosecutor John D. Ferrero, Jr.; Retired Judges Richard T. Kettler and Richard D. Reinbold, Jr.; Stark County Association for Justice.
Bar Association Ratings: Recommended by the Judiciary Committee of the Stark County Bar Association.
(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years):
Full-time Magistrate of the Massillon Municipal Court since January 1, 2008; Acting Magistrate and Acting Judge of the Massillon Municipal Court June 2004 – December 2007.
(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
Prior to becoming the full-time Magistrate of the Massillon Municipal Court in 2008, I practiced law for nearly 24 years in western Stark County.
(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I am running for this position because Hon. C. Roland Centrone is retiring on December 31, 2019. My experience and understanding of the workings of the Court and our community make me qualified to fill this seat. I have been a resident of the Massillon Municipal Court district my entire life and I have been active in our community, and I want to continue to serve our residents and make a difference in western Stark County.