Office: For Judge of the Fifth District Court of Appeals
Term Beginning 2/9/2021
Age: 68
Residence: North Canton
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Occupation: Judge – Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals
Education: J.D. University of Akron Law School B.A. College of Wooster
Work Experience: Judge-Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals 1991-present, Judge Canton Municipal Court 1988-1990, Prosecutor Canton Law Dept. 1977-1987, law practice
Family: Married with two children, three grandchildren
Affiliations: Ohio State Bar Association, Ohio Courts of Appeals Judges Association, Stark County Bar Association, Canton Baptist Temple
Endorsements: Fraternal Order of Police, McKinley Lodge #2 (2020); Ohio Association of Public School Employees (2020); Ohio Right to Life (2020); Hall of Fame Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO (2020); Ohio AFSCME Ohio Council 8 and Ohio AFSCME Retiree Chapter 1184 (2020)
Bar Association Ratings: 1) “Highly Recommended” by the Stark County Bar Association, 2020; 2) Stark County Bar Association Judicial Performance Evaluation – Overall Performance “Generally Strong to Excellent”
(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
Judge-Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals: 1991-present Judge-Canton Municipal Court: 1988-1990 (sat by special assignment on the Ohio Supreme Court on several occasions)
(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
Prior to taking the bench, I served as a prosecuting attorney in the Canton Law Department for 11 years. I also maintained a private law practice for 11 years. I was a legal intern in the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office, Juvenile Division, while in law school.
(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
As an appellate court judge, I have timely and efficiently written thousands of opinions and participated in over 10,000 decisions for the Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals. I have consistently received high evaluations of my judicial performance from my local lawyers’ bar association. I presently serve as the presiding judge of my court. I have been privileged to sit by special assignment on the Ohio Supreme Court on several occasions.
If re-elected, I intend to continue to ensure all cases coming before me are timely and impartially decided for the approximately 1.4 million people living within the court’s 15 county district.