Author: ctaylor1

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
Judge, Tenth District Court of Appeals, elected 2014, reelected without opposition 2016
• Serve as one of eight judges in jurisdiction of 1.2 million people reviewing cases filed as of right from lower courts at county and municipal level (civil and felony and misdemeanor cases, probate, family law and administrative law), state court of claims cases, administrative law decisions and holding original jurisdiction in government-related cases.
• Participate in three-judge panels that hear oral arguments on cases fully briefed and prepared for review.
• Manage team of staff attorneys and paralegal in review of records and drafting and review of decisions.
• Confer with other appellate judges on cases presented for oral argument and written decisions following oral arguments.
• Sit as visiting judge on the Ohio Supreme Court and in other courts of appeals.
• Participate in state appellate judge training and information exchange.
• Research and draft decisions on appeals.
• Serve on court Personnel Committee.
• Central Ohio Association for Justice George E. Tyack Judicial Excellence Award for performance as appellate judge, May 2016.
• Judge, Franklin County Common Pleas Court, elected 2000, reelected 2002
• Managed regular docket of at least 500 civil cases and 125 criminal cases at any time pending.
• Eliminated docket backlog from 991 cases to 713 cases in one year.
• Conducted trials including three judge panel death penalty trial, criminal trials for aggravated murder, rape, felonious assault, complicity to felonious assault, robbery, burglary, and theft, and civil trials including age discrimination, premises liability (slip and fall), auto accident and medical malpractice.
• Implemented procedures for jurors to ask questions in trials; affirmed by Ohio Supreme Court with statewide procedures modeled after those challenged and affirmed.
• Working within court and with community mental health and substance abuse service providers, established and presided over the TIES (Treatment is Essential to Success) Program, a felony drug court specialized docket, providing for intensive probation of persons whose substance abuse or substance abuse co-occurring with mental illness has contributed to their commission of nonviolent felonies; this specialized docket is still in operation today.
• Supervised 45 probationers in TIES program and supervised activities of TIES Program coordinator, while maintaining regular docket.
• Collaborated with TIES program service providers across disciplines, including assisting with cross-training for better cooperation; advocate of collaboration for best planning, execution and results, including acceptance by affected populations.
• Presided over cases involving administrative appeals of state agency decisions, including appeals of ballot issue challenges.
• Served on following court committees: Court Personnel Committee, Court Technology Committee, New Judges Committee, Grants Review Committee, Assigned Counsel for Indigent Defendants Committee.
• Taught probation officers of the court and lawyers involved with the Ohio State Bar Foundation curriculum on poverty and working with people in poverty to help them succeed.
• Adjunct professor for graduate law enforcement program for Tiffin University, a private Ohio University, teaching law and ethics for law enforcement officers and for undergraduate law enforcement program, constitutional law for law enforcement

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
My 17 years private practice experience with people from all walks of life has helped me better understand how the law affects people, in a wide variety of life situations. To be a lawyer is a calling to serve society and to uphold and protect the rule of law. I have worked for clients ranging from economically disadvantaged single mothers to one who was running for president (Jerry Brown in 1992).

My private law practice experience includes trial and appellate work for clients in common pleas courts in Franklin, Cuyahoga, Licking, Fairfield, Carroll, Mahoning and Hamilton Counties; in appellate courts in the Tenth, Third, Eighth, Fifth, First, Second and Sixth District Courts of Appeals; the Ohio Supreme Court; United States District Courts (Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio); Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals; and am admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. I have represented clients in administrative proceedings before numerous state and local boards, served as a special prosecutor for election fraud and as a hearing officer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

In 2011, I drafted a statewide referendum petition for a coalition of voting rights activists, labor organizations, state and local political party organizations and faith-based and other nonprofit organizations who gathered more than 400,000 petition signatures to place voting rights referendum on statewide ballot; in 2012-2013 I developed a multi-state and federal executive agency government affairs practice focused on matters before the FCC and state public utilities commissions relating to low income telephone government programs.

I started my own law firm from the corner of my bedroom when our children were 7, 4 and 2, growing it to 32 people after ten years. Other experience includes serving as general counsel for a computer firm and a trade association, serving as campaign finance counsel for numerous state and local labor unions, corporations, national and state associations, candidates, caucuses and political action committees on state and federal election law, and representing neighborhood groups and developers on zoning, referendum and initiative election issues. Past experience also includes representing judges and judicial candidates before the Supreme Court concerning compliance with the Code of Judicial Conduct. Hold experience in drafting state legislation and administrative rules in areas of election law, local option elections, campaign finance, and ethics laws. Served as administrative partner of law firm.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I love the law, I love Ohio and I enjoy helping people. I am privileged, having traveled to every county in this state when I served as Secretary of State, to have worked with Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections as we together served Ohioans.

I chose to run for the Ohio Supreme Court for three reasons: First, I want to be a part of a court that ensures that the first decision interpreting the state constitution’s new provisions for fair districts for Congress and the Ohio General Assembly, when challenged — and they will be — is fair and according to state constitutional requirements. As Secretary of State, my office sponsored a public contest to draw districts to show we could end gerrymandering. We used a formula that served as a basis for developing the state constitution’s formula for fair districts. We proved it could be done. Nothing is more basic to the health of Ohio’s democracy than fair districts, and I want to participate in any review of that process occurring after the 2020 census. I want to use my experience to the benefit of the court and the people of the State of Ohio.

Second, there are important issues such as when a police office can make an individual get out of their car, under what circumstances criminal records can be expunged, when someone’s home can be taken through foreclosure or when is it appropriate for legislative caps on damages (such as rape of a child by a trusted pastor) to be overcome. These issues are just a few that affect everyday people in Ohio, though many citizens often don’t realize how much they are affected by just the words of the state’s highest court.

Third, I have found that when there is a political balance on an appellate court, there is less a tendency to “group think.” Better decisions are likely to emerge when they involve the give-and-take of views and the softening of others through reasoned and respectful discussion and decision making. Currently, the political balance of the state’s high court is a state of unbalance with 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats. A 4-3 balance would, in my view, create some of the best decisions possible from the court. I hope to help provide that balance with my election.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
Though I don’t have any direct judicial experience, I have practiced law for more than thirty years, earning the respect of all that I come into contact with on a daily basis, including judges, fellow attorneys, and clients. The knowledge that I have gained from spending thousands of hours in the courtroom and writing scores of legal briefs on various legal topics has prepared me for the role of an appellate court judge.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
My nearly thirty-two years of working as a litigator and with litigators qualifies me to be a judge. The first part of my career in Illinois focused on all aspects of civil litigation, from personal injury cases to breach of contract. Over the past 16 years in Ohio, my practice has been focused on criminal defense litigation, primary representing indigent defendants charged with serious felony offenses. I have handled over 100 jury trials and a similar number of appeals, most of them in the 2nd District Court of Appeals where I am now seeking to be elected judge. I have also handled a number of cases in the Ohio Supreme Court. I have committed my practice in Ohio to the representation of indigent defendants who are otherwise unable to afford legal counsel.

I am proud to have received in 2016 a lifetime achievement award from the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court for my work with indigent defendants. In addition, I have represented the best interest of scores of Montgomery County children as a Guardian Ad Litem for abused, neglected and dependent children. In 2011, I was honored by the Montgomery County Juvenile Court for the work that I have done on behalf of Montgomery County children and parents in that court.

Having spent literally thousands of hours in the courtroom, and thousands of additional hours researching and preparing outside the courtroom, I have an understanding of the law that few can match. Add to that a lifelong appreciation and dedication to the principles contained in the United States Constitution, I believe I am more than qualified to sit as a judge on the 2nd District Court of Appeals.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
A appellate court judge must bring a passion for the American legal system to the bench. In addition to having the knowledge and experience necessary to properly interpret the law, it is important that judges on the court of appeals respect the fundamental principles contained in the United States Constitution and the Ohio Constitution, and work every day to ensure that these principles are being followed. I believe I have these qualities, and it is why I am running to be a judge on the 2nd District Court of Appeals.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
I have served various judicial officers throughout my legal career and education. In law school (2000), I was a student extern for the Honorable Thomas J. Moyer, Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. From 2002 to 2003, I was a judicial clerk to the Honorable Reynaldo G. Garza, Senior Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. From 2003 to 2004, I clerked for the Honorable George H. King, District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
My service to judicial officers has shown me the importance of fair, accurate, and complete substantive decisions and of case management itself. My year in California taught me a life’s worth of lessons in case management, and I know just how efficiently a trial court can and should run.

I have successfully litigated hundreds of cases in my career, and I approach each one as both an advocate for my client and an officer of the court. I know the law, and I know it well. I learn new concepts quickly, and I have fluency in both procedural and evidentiary rules. I have a tremendous respect for the law and its role in our society, for the courts and their place in our democracy, and for the heavy burden of public service. If elected Judge, I will use this expertise to be fair, impartial, effective, and efficient in serving the people of Franklin County, Ohio.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I am seeking judicial office because of my passion for public service and my love for the law itself. Since my very first day of law school, I have been devoted to the law as the practical philosophy by which we achieve and maintain a progressive and civil society.

Since 2009, I have been serving the people of the City of Columbus as an Assistant City Attorney for the Columbus City Attorney’s Office, and these past ten years have been the most rewarding of my career thus far. I have found an honor in public service, a pride in knowing that my time and energy are being spent for the public good. My pride in public service has grown as strong as my passion for the law itself. Becoming a judge will allow me to grow as both a lawyer and a public servant. If elected, I will strive to do the greatest amount of good I can for the largest number of people.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
I served on the Board of Revisions from 2012 to 2016 overseeing more than 250 property tax appeal cases. I consider the position to be an administrative position rather than judicial, but I enjoyed hearing evidence presented from talented attorneys and ruling on the issues presented.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I have experience representing individuals, businesses, and municipalities in civil, criminal, and administrative matters. I’ve been fortunate to work with good attorneys to resolve matters outside of court and in other cases gone to trial. I am equally comfortable resolving a case amicably as a I am comfortable researching the facts and law of a case and taking it to trial.

I was trained by especially talented attorneys at Stearns & Hammer. They have taught me about the practice of the law and the effects of criminal and civil justice outcomes on our clients – financial stress, mental health, and strained familial relationships.

I have served four municipalities as solicitor and prosecutor, served as special prosecutor in Bowling Green, and serve as general counsel to several local contractors and real estate developers. My experience in both civil and criminal law best qualifies me to be judge.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I grew up and went to school in Wood County. My family, teachers, and community helped provide me with the tools to accomplish my dream of going to college and becoming an attorney. Now, my wife and I are able to raise our three daughters in the same supportive community. I have been a beneficiary of all this community has to offer.

I am running for this court seat because I am committed to making my community the best place it can be to work, raise a family, and go to school. I have the experience and judgment necessary to further those ideals as judge. Our neighbors and colleagues deserve a safe, consistent, and reliable environment to receive the same opportunities we have received.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
I am currently a Judge on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas-General Division (March 2019 to present). I preside over a combined civil and criminal docket of approximately 600 cases.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
In addition to my current position as Judge, I have significant experience as a lawyer in both criminal and civil law, which is exceedingly rare among judges. From 2012 to 2019, I worked relentlessly to protect the citizens of Franklin County as an Assistant Prosecutor for Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien. I quickly advanced from a juvenile prosecutor, to the grand jury unit, and ultimately to the adult-felony trial team, where I tried numerous murder cases and other important, high-level felony cases.

I worked extensively with law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes and became proficient in analyzing crime scenes and conducting expert forensic examinations. In doing so, I became particularly skilled in trial work and sharpened my knowledge of the rules of evidence and other court rules. I worked tirelessly to prepare cases for trial and interacted with members of the community daily as victims, witnesses and potential jurors.

From 2002 to 2012, I worked as a civil litigator for the law office of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLP. There, I handled a large variety of complex civil matters involving contracts, torts, product liability, personal injury, workers’ compensation, employment, and construction litigation. I argued cases before many trial and appellate courts across the region, including the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

I am well-versed in the rules of civil procedure and I have conducted extensive pre-trial discovery, taken hundreds of depositions and drafted numerous motions in both state and federal courts. I understand the realities of navigating through tough situations, working with clients and being held accountable for resolving cases in an appropriate manner. As a former civil litigator, I appreciate the alternative methods of dispute resolution and encourage their use among clients and other litigants.

My diverse background in both civil law and criminal prosecution best positions me to take the bench as a judge who presides over a combined docket of both civil and criminal cases. During my seventeen years as a civil and criminal litigator, I have practiced in most areas of the law and have the prior “real-life” experience for which there is no substitute. My experience has been extensive and expansive and I have the background, education and experience to serve on the Franklin County bench.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I am running to keep my seat on the court because I believe that there is no reason to wear a black robe other than to positively impact our community.

As your Judge, I am extremely passionate about the law and I believe that the law requires, and this great community deserves, equal access to a fair and impartial court. My passion for the law is evidenced by my extensive criminal law and civil law background. With my diverse background, I am acutely aware of the important role judges play in the legal system.

Since taking the bench, I have established quality court practices and procedures for the smooth administration of justice. I ensure that cases on my docket are addressed efficiently and that my decisions are issued timely. I approach each case with compassion and empathy. I give everyone in my courtroom an opportunity to be heard and I work with an open mind to treat everyone fairly and with respect. I appreciate that people present different viewpoints, beliefs and positions.

I understand my role as judge to acknowledge each side and preside with diplomacy. I listen to the facts and evidence presented and I apply the law fairly, consistently and evenly to all parties, no matter which side of the argument they present. I strive to reach the right result and ensure that justice is served. I can, and do, make the tough decisions that every judge must make and I am not persuaded by public opinion. I work thoughtfully and deliberately, always with the rule of law and the safety of the community at the forefront of my decisions. I preside over my cases with honesty, integrity and civility, and will continue to do so for the citizens of Franklin County because I believe this is what the community deserves.

As a judge, I understand that I am in a position to profoundly affect many peoples’ lives and I take this responsibility seriously. I make best efforts to positively impact the individuals who appear before me as well as the communities they belong to, while providing equal access to a fair and impartial court to all. Equal access to a fair and impartial court is the foundation of our legal system and it is the reason I am running to remain your Franklin County Judge.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
Tuscarawas County Juvenile/Probate Court Magistrate 2016 to Present. In 2016, I was appointed as a Magistrate in the Tuscarawas County Juvenile/Probate Court. Similar to the position of a Judge, as Magistrate, I preside over hearings, listen to evidence and decide the final outcomes of cases. Since 2016, I have presided over thousands of hearings as a Magistrate making decisions in the best interest of Tuscarawas County children and their families.

It’s a Judge’s responsibility to make tough decisions effecting the lives of children and their families. I’ve been making those decisions since 2016 as a Magistrate in the Tuscarawas County Juvenile/Probate Court. Judicial experience is only attained by actually making those tough decisions. My experience as a Magistrate has afforded me the opportunity to gain experience in all facets of the Juvenile and Probate Court. It has also allowed me to identify the areas of the Court upon which I can improve.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
Prior to being appointed as a Magistrate, I was a partner in a private law practice. My practice focused on Juvenile/Probate Law. I represented parents, children and estates. Additionally, I served as a Guardian ad Litem, acting as a voice for children and standing up for their best interest.

As a father of a young child, I am sensitive to the challenges currently facing our children and families. Judges are required to make difficult decisions under stressful circumstances. My experience as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army has prepared me to make fair and firm decisions while exercising sound judgment and compassion.

The Juvenile/Probate Judge oversees an annual budget of approximately 1.6 million dollars of taxpayer money. Prior to attending law school, I worked as a financial analyst at a Fortune 500 company. I have extensive experience with balancing budgets and making sound financial decisions.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
As a magistrate since 2016, I have provided guidance and direction to thousands of children and their families balancing discipline with compassion. A 20-year old recently thanked me for providing direction and encouragement to him years ago when he was in my courtroom. He had made some poor decisions in his youth but was proud to report he was now living drug free with stable housing and employment. That is why I’m running for judge, it’s for the opportunity to make a positive influence in the lives of children and families in Tuscarawas County.

I also created a juvenile work program in 2018 in coordination with several local community agencies to help develop the Tuscarawas United Feeding our Future (TUFF) Bags program. Juveniles are ordered to participate in the work program by helping to pack bags of food later distributed to local children in the community. Last school year, TUFF Bags provided approximately 100,000 meals to Tuscarawas county children that have been identified as food insecure. The program provides an opportunity for juveniles to learn, give back to their community and help other children in need. To date, approximately 90% of those juveniles who have participated in the work program have not returned to the Juvenile Court.

This year, our work program received a Community Outreach Award from the United Way of Tuscarawas County. Cases handled in the Juvenile/Probate Court are not the most glamorous cases but they are the most important to our community because they deal with children and their families. We as a court literally make the decision as to where a child will sleep at night. As a Magistrate, those are not decisions I take lightly.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
I am seeking election for my first term as a judge.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
Given the diversity and breadth of the jurisdiction of Probate Court, it requires a judge who has an extensive and wide-ranging life and legal experience to tackle issues in novel and innovative ways. I believe that experience is defined by the quality of the decisions we make and not solely based upon longevity. If you look at my whole career as a lawyer, as an educator, in business, in the government, and in the Army, you will see that I have dedicated my life and career to lifting people up. I will apply lessons I have learned throughout my career as the top Democratic lawyer in the Ohio Senate advocating for civil rights and election reforms to my service as a Special Victims Counsel in the US Army Reserve JAG Corps representing victims of sexual assault.

As an Officer and Judge Advocate I also spent a significant portion of my career advising deploying soldiers about their estate planning needs and writing their wills and powers of attorney to ensure their families would be taken care of should they be forced to give the ultimate sacrifice.

I will bring new perspectives to creating greater access to the courts and improving the administration of justice. In addition to being engaged in service to the legal profession by serving in leadership positions in local bar associations, I am active in legal education and I have served as an adjunct professor at UC Law and Xavier University. I will bring that understanding of principles of law in theory and practice to ensure that my decisions are rooted in the law with a concern for fundamental fairness.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I am running to be the next Hamilton County Probate Court Judge because I believe it is time for a new generation of leadership in our courts. For too long, our specialty courts have been designed and operated as fiefdoms – insulated from the workings of the other courts and the citizens at large. I want to bring a real sense of public service and duty to the Probate Court by increasing transparency, accessibility, and empathy from the Court.

To increase transparency, I am going to work to integrate the electronic filings (that only recently became available) with other county-wide systems. I am also going to utilize the media and social media to publicize the work that is done and to help educate the taxpayers of Hamilton County about how Probate Court affects their lives and how their money is being spent.

From an accessibility perspective, I want to engage in significant community outreach. I want to work with community organizations like the NAACP and Urban League in addition to organized labor, to make sure working class people understand the implications of not having a will or estate plan and to help them find legal services to obtain one.

And from an empathy perspective, I will pledge to never forget the people behind every case and work to tackle the most difficult issues in regards to issues for people suffering from mental illnesses. I have spent years writing wills for soldiers deploying to war and I will remember that level of my solemn duty when administering estates and when celebrating adoptions and marriages at Probate Court. Probate Court affects everyone’s lives. I believe that I can transform the Court and peoples’ experiences to better serve the citizens of Hamilton County.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
Magistrate, Villages of Lincoln Heights and Woodlawn; and Cities of Silverton and Golf Manor, 2001-2011
Hamilton County Municipal Court Magistrate, 2001-2011
Judge, Hamilton County Municipal Court, 2018-present

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I have been practicing law for 25 years. I have experience in both criminal and civil law. As an Assistant City of Cincinnati Prosecutor, I tried over 500 bench and jury trials and managed 7,500 criminal cases annually. As an Assistant City of Cincinnati Solicitor, I defended the City in civil actions and managed the City’s tax collection unit.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
Judges should be experienced in all areas of the law at the various court levels. As I have been in the judicial system for over 13 years, I am seeking this particular seat for personal growth. I have worked my way up from the lowest courts in the state, steadily advancing to the next level. With the retirement of two of our Common Pleas Judges, this is an opportunity to bring my judicial experience to the next level. When it comes to Judges, experience matters.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
Law clerk in domestic relations court, Cuyahoga County 1980-1984

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I have represented hundreds of clients in divorce, legal separation, dissolution, and domestic violence cases for over 35 years. I have handled all types of cases, routine to complicated, straightforward to highly contested, no children marriages to complicated custody issues, parties with no assets to multi-million dollar marital estates.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
My extensive experience has provided the appropriate skillset to make a seamless transition to judge. I began my legal career working for four different judges in the very court I am running for. I learned that even though the law and rules are the same in every county in Ohio, there are different ways to achieve results for litigants. I have practice before several domestic relations judges in several counties over 35 plus years which has provided keen insight into being a domestic relations judge.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
I have been a Cleveland Municipal Judge for 18 years. I was elected in 2001. I have been the Cleveland Mental Health Specialized Docket judge for 3 years. I have used the power of the court to impact the lives of the people who appear before me and the legal system. I have created numerous programs to help offenders help themselves. As a result of the Get on Track Program I helped create, over 600 people have secured their GED’s. I created the Community Orientation Program (COP) to educate people on their rights and responsibilities when they encounter the police. I also created a curfew program to address both parents’ and children’s responsibilities in the school. I was the Chair of the Rules Committee for over 10 years. As the Chair, I spear headed many improvements in the court and reviewed and revised rules that helped improve the operations of the court. Concerned with defendants sitting in jail on minor misdemeanor offenses because they failed to appear in court, I speared the creation of a process to allow for the release of defendants once they were processed.

As the Mental Health Court Judge, I created innovative measures to focus on the therapeutic progress of each participant who was diagnosed with mental illness. The compliance hearings for the participants in the program was relocated from the justice center and into a community room at a social service site. Education on mental illness and art therapy have been incorporated into the program. These innovative measures have been recognized by both the Alcohol Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). I have written over 20 opinions that have been published and used as legal precedence by other judges.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I am a student and teacher of the law. I have been an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve School of Law for 3 years. I teach Criminal Procedure II. I must study and stay current in the law. My teaching allows me to challenge law students as they challenge me. I create Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars for attorneys. I select thought provoking topics. I have had hundreds of attorneys attend the numerous seminars that I have created and have been approved by the Ohio Supreme Court. The evaluations from the attendees have been extremely favorable and often state the seminars were one of the best they have attended. I have presented at many CLE seminars covering various topics. I prepare my own presentations which requires me to research the subject matters.

I volunteer through my church, the bar association and sorority. I have volunteered at the school close to my church for many years. I have an opportunity to see the needs of the students and mentor them in personal responsibility and goal setting. I volunteer on behalf of the bar association at local high schools. Through my sorority I assisted with it’s annual expungement fairs. My volunteer work helps me better understand the needs of the community and the people who come before me. I am often asked to speak at church programs. I appreciate the opportunities because they require me to be more knowledgeable about the bible. In my preparation, I must also do serious self reflections and evaluations of myself to see how I measure up to the personal characteristics and principles that I speak about. Personal qualities like patience, kindness, gentleness and self control. I am convinced in order to be a good judge, you must strive to be a good person and understand the importance of exercising your power responsibly.

Finally, I am a wife of 39 years and mother of 2 children who are both graduates of Princeton University. Juggling the needs of a family require many skillsets that are transferable to the court as you make decisions about people’s lives.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
The Court of Appeals is a scholarly court. The appellate court can effectively impact the administration of justice. As a trial court judge, I have had over 20 opinions written and published. These opinions are used as legal precedence by other judges and cited in legal reference books. I recall over 10 years ago, an appellate judge sought me out at a judicial conference of hundreds of judges to let me know she had used one of my opinions in an opinion she had written. She went on to ask me if I had considered becoming an appellate judge. At the time I had not. However, since that time, I have written far more opinions and began to teach at Case Law School. It is a great honor to stand as a professor in the room I once sat as a student. I am able to stand there because of the scholarly efforts I have undertaken. I love the law and impact it can have on people’s lives, our community and the administration of justice. I understand the responsibility to uphold the constitution.

In 2017, I found the RTA health line fare enforcement practice unconstitutional because passengers’ Fourth Amendment rights were being violated when law enforcement officers were requiring passengers to provide proof of fare without probable cause that they had attempted to evade payment of fare. My opinion was instrumental in Pittsburgh deciding not to adopt the same fare enforcement practice. I am not required to write opinions as a trial judge. However, I chose to write because I want to clearly set forth how I arrive at my decisions. I do my own research and writing. Service on the court of appeals would be a natural transition, given the level of work I am currently doing.