Category: Uncategorized

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
Custody Magistrate for the Honorable Michael J. Ryan at the Juvenile Division of common please Court, 2012-present. I have made countless custody decisions for children suffering abuse or neglect. I have also presided over cases where unwed parents have custody disputes. I have also been active and involved in many administrative efforts to reform Juvenile Court so have a taste of the administrative side of being a Judge.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, [In-Charge supervising Attorney] Children and Family Services Unit, 2006-2012. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Children and Family Services Unit, 1998-2006. Assistant Public Defender, Juvenile Division, 1996-1998. Assistant Public Defender, Law Clerk, 1994-1996. Artist as first career after Masters in Fine Arts at Ohio University. I am openly transgender, gay and Jewish.

I learned to be a creative problem solver and nuanced thinker from my artist background and education. The communication and thinking skills that I developed as an artist have served me in a wide array of professional and personal manners and guided me to considerable success.

I have litigated on both sides of the trial table so understand well what each lawyer is aspiring to and should achieve. This understanding has provided me with a balanced perspective.

I transitioned while on the bench which took considerable courage. I’m so grateful and proud of our Juvenile Court for allowing me the dignity to be my authentic self while at work. My experiences as a transgender woman have given me insight on the need for gender equality in custody decisions, safety for children and victims of domestic violence, and special care to balance any power inequities between litigants.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I want to be a leader, role model and fearless advocate for the underdog and disenfranchised. If elected I would be the second transgender Common Pleas Judge in the United States. We are not all judged by the strength of our character or demonstrated work skills.

I want to remind people that we were all strangers at one point in time. Although our nation has not yet realized Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream to be judged by our talents; my winning this election would bring our County closer to that dream and would be a beacon of light and hope for the nation.

As Custody Magistrate, I like to solve complicated problems and make difficult decisions where there are competing values. Custody disputes for children are volatile and emotional for the family which requires conflict management skills and empathetic listening. I like to analyze from multiple perspectives and am vested in making well-reasoned decisions. We are a learned profession and our decisions should reflect reason and foster respectability and confidence in the Court. I have been told that I have gentle judicial temperament which I find a good match to meet the need to de-escalate conflict for litigants. Institutional change is not easy and long-lasting change must be done intelligently and strategically.

I would first like to laud the positives of Domestic Relations Court of which there are many. For example, the Domestic Relations Court has a stellar domestic violence specialty docket that the serves our community well. I would like to focus on ensuring mature children having a strong voice in their own custody decision, protecting women [or men] and children from domestic violence, and meeting the many challenges from the rising tide of self-represented litigants. I would have the advantage of seeing things with fresh eyes. I am a collaborative problem solver and team player. I can be persistent and persuasive when I see the need for change. I have been involved in many successful reform and administrative efforts and changes while a Magistrate at Juvenile Court.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)I have not previously been a Judge. I have been an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney since 1992.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I began in private practice in 1989 and handled matters involving domestic relations, custody, estates, insurance defense, personal injury, real estate, and general business. I became a prosecutor in 1992 and have tried cases in all 3 courts in our county including felony and misdemeanors. I have had numerous criminal jury trials and have conducted numerous hearings involving abused, neglected and dependent children, permanent custody, delinquency and unruly matters. I have filed cases with the Probate Court as well including estates, mental illness hearings, guardianships and Adult Protective Services cases.

Over the years, I have gained invaluable experience in private practice while also representing the county agencies and various townships as a prosecutor. In this capacity, I have been involved with the county budget commission, contracts, insurance and many other issues. My experience provides a broad base of expertise which I will bring to the bench.

Over the 28 years that I have been a prosecutor, I have worked closely with Children’s Services, other social service and mental health agencies and law enforcement and have developed close working relationships with each of them. Through preparing and actually trying cases to the Court, I have been able to work closely with these entities as well as foster parents to develop the best approach to working with children and families.

My entire legal career has been in Union County, Ohio and I have consistently been involved with children and families. Juvenile Court has a goal of rehabilitation for the child and family and works closely with mental health and other counseling agencies to provide services to work with youth and families to address the issues which bring them to the Court. Part of rehabilitation is accountability and as the Senior Assistant Prosecutor, I have long advocated for holding individuals accountable for their actions. I will continue to do so as Judge.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
As someone who has been in the private practice of law and one who has been an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, I bring a unique perspective to the position of Judge. I have successfully tried cases, both civil and criminal, in the Courts. I also have experience with administrative matters which will benefit the Court. As a Court, we must hold juveniles accountable for their actions so our community remains safe however, we must also look for ways we can help to rehabilitate the child and, in many cases, the parents.

I am seeking the office of Probate and Juvenile Judge as I want to continue making a difference in the lives of children and families. I want all children and families to be successful. Through holding children accountable while providing services to them and/or their families, the Court can make a difference in their lives for the better. Too many of our children have appeared in our Juvenile Court and then move on the Municipal Court and adult felony court. As Judge, I believe I can make a difference in reducing the recidivism that our County has observed over the years.

I am also an advocate of drug court and brought the idea of having a drug court to our County in 2005. I would like to continue the drug court program and will work with service providers and others to strengthen that program.

Over the years, I have been able to observe the Court and its processes and believe that I possess the necessary skills and experience to move the Court forward while also ensuring efficiency. Our County needs a strong individual leading the Court who is fiscally conservative and who has the individual and community in mind. Given my experience in private practice and as the Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, I possess the necessary knowledge and ability to effectively operate the Court while working with individuals, mental health and social services agencies, and law enforcement to help our children succeed and strengthen families. As we strengthen the individual and family, our community benefits.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
Lucas County Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Magistrate – 4 years Lucas County Common Pleas, General Division – Since March 18, 2019

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I was a private attorney for approximately 15 years practicing in general civil litigation and criminal misdemeanor cases. I handled many areas of civil litigation which constitutes a majority of a judge’s docket. The judges’ caseloads are around sixty percent civil litigation.

I also had substantial experience doing guardian ad litem work for the courts in domestic relations and juvenile cases. It gave me the opportunity to interact with litigants and their families in a closer fashion. This gave me an increased perspective few attorneys get in representing their clients. I also clerked for a judge for three years which gave me the ins and outs of court administration which served me well starting as a magistrate.

I believe my private practice experience coupled with the 5 years of judicial experience has prepared me well for the position as a judge in Common Pleas Court.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
In short, I absolutely love this job! I was appointed on March 18, 2019 to the seat I am running for. In the nearly one year as a judge, I have learned the intricacies of the criminal felony docket. I have also been introduced to complex areas of civil law that I had not practiced in.

Being a judge in Common Pleas Court is truly a busy and, at times, stressful occupation. However, I thoroughly enjoy the dynamic nature and educational process the position brings. Being a judge also presents the unique opportunity to make a difference in the community. As a magistrate I was exposed to the serious issues of opiate addiction and mental health in the legal system. It impacts the ability of attorneys to adequately represent their clients, and the courts in the administration of justice.

I am particularly concerned with how mental health has taken a backseat to the publicity of the opiate epidemic. I personally feel that mental health is as big of an issue if not larger. I hope to join forces with Judge Navarre in the creation of a specialty court for mental health. It is sorely needed as the community lacks the resources and wherewithal to address the issue comprehensively.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
Acting Judge, Hillsboro Municipal Court 2001-2008 Judge, Highland County Common Pleas Court 2008-present

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I have been involved with numerous community activities over the past forty-four years and know the values of our community as well as the expectations of the community that their judges will be fair and impartial in their decision making.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
Since August of 2008 when I assumed the bench, I have made many improvements in the administration of the court and have kept the docket one of the most current in the state.

There are many changes that are occurring or being considered that affect the courts of our state including both the law and the administration of the courts. I want to be involved in implementing those changes in our court.

In December of 2019, our Drug Court Docket was approved and I want to continue to develop that as an effective program for rehabilitating offenders and helping them to become sober and productive members of our community.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)I have not served as a judge but I have litigated cases in state and federal courts in Ohio for 32 years.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I have litigated cases for 32 years in Hamilton County Ohio in municipal court, common pleas court, and the first district court of appeals. I have also represented clients in other Ohio courts, including the Ohio Supreme Court. I have tried cases in federal courts, including the Southern District of Ohio, and represented clients on appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. As a litigator who brings civil rights cases for people who have been discriminated against based on race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation and disability, I am committed to being an impartial judge. As a lawyer who has tried cases for a gay schoolteacher, a transgender police officer, inmates, employees who have been discriminated against, and people injured by the police, I am committed to treating all people who appear in court with respect.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
After 32 years of trying to seek justice for my clients I would like to do justice for those who appear in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. This court is where serious criminal cases are heard, complex civil cases are brought, and the need for justice is great. At the end of every trial someone loses. I want lawyers, parties, and victims to walk away from that courtroom feeling that even though they did not win, at least the process, the judge, and the jury were fair.

I have decades of courtroom experience fighting for the underdog. I chose a career first in poverty law and then civil rights law, because I saw people being treated unjustly – sometimes just because they were poor, Black, female, or inmates. I have sought justice for employees discriminated against at work because they were Black, women, gay, transgender, or disabled. I have seen arrestees beaten by prison guards, shot or tased by police, and falsely arrested. I have seen public employees – a teacher, a cop, a librarian – have their jobs threatened because they were gay or lesbian or transgender. And even though I have sued police officers I have also represented police officers and fire-fighters who were racially discriminated against or retaliated against at work.

I have sought Justice for my clients but now it is time for me to do Justice. I will be an impartial judge because I have had to litigate cases before biased judges. I will ensure trials are fair because I have seen clients pre-judged because of their poverty, race, gender, disability, LGBT status, and their history of being arrested or convicted of a crime. I will make sure the truth matters in my courtroom because I have seen injustice prevail when the truth is not exposed.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)I have been a judge for 29 years, the last seven in Probate Court. As I do not have an opponent this year, I would prefer that the space be given to those who do.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I have significant community engagement which informs my role as a judge.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I am running for reelection.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
I have served on the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, General Division since 2013.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
Judge Colleen O’Donnell was appointed to the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, General Division in May, 2013, won her retention election to the Common Pleas Court in November 2014, and in 2016, ran unopposed for another full term in the Common Pleas Court. Since taking the bench, Judge O’Donnell has presided over all manner of civil and criminal cases, conducted numerous jury trials, and she works aggressively to resolve cases on her docket. Previously, Judge O’Donnell served as a law clerk to Judge Sara Lioi of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She also served in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General in the Consumer Protection Section. Before joining the Court, Judge O’Donnell was in private practice with the law firm of Carpenter Lipps & Leland LLP, where she concentrated on litigation matters, including products liability and criminal defense. She also accepted court appointments to represent indigent defendants. Judge O’Donnell has experience practicing regulatory and administrative law before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and before the state legislature.

Judge O’Donnell is a graduate of Miami University and Case Western Reserve University School of Law. She is also a graduate of The Jo Ann Davidson Ohio Leadership Institute.

Judge O’Donnell is a member of the Columbus Bar Association; the Ohio Women’s Bar Association; Women Lawyers of Franklin County; the Ohio State Bar Association; and the Thomas J. Moyer American Inn of Court. She serves on the Boards of the Grandview Heights Public Library Foundation, and of Miami University’s Pre-Law Advisory Program. She and her family are proud members of The Shamrock Club!

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
Judge O’Donnell believes all litigants should be treated fairly and respectfully, and that they deserve timely resolution of their cases. She is keenly aware that the vast majority of cases heard by the Tenth District Court of Appeals will not garner further review, and thus understands the importance of the decisions reached by this Court.

Judge O’Donnell approaches every case with an open mind, and is guided by the facts and the law. In serving on the Tenth District Court of Appeals, she will continue to adhere to the rule of law, respect the separation of powers, and serve our community with distinction and integrity.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
I have been a magistrate with the Licking County Common Pleas Court, Probate – Juvenile Division since February of 2006. I became Chief Magistrate in 2018.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I have been an attorney for 25 years, and spent that entire time working in Licking County. I was an assistant prosecuting attorney from 1994 to 2006. The first 8 years, I worked in the juvenile and civil divisions. I prosecuted every type of case that comes through juvenile court, from minor traffic violations and school truancy through homicide, robbery, and burglary. During those years, I also prosecuted hundreds of cases on behalf of Licking County Children Services. I also was involved in several cases in which juvenile charges were transferred to the adult court for criminal prosecution.

In 2002, I was moved to the adult felony unit, and spent the next four years prosecuting serious felony cases ranging from theft and burglary through homicides. I also prosecuted many appeals in both the juvenile and adult felony divisions. What this experience did was give me strong knowledge of all parts of the juvenile justice system. I know the procedures. I know the rules. I know the law.

My volunteer work has focused on working with young people. There are several reasons for this. First, I believe that working directly with young people in my volunteer work helps me communicate better with young people in court. Second, working with young people gives me a better understanding of young people and their lives, which is extremely valuable when considering disposition (sentencing) for young offenders. Third, I personally believe that it is important for someone who works in the juvenile justice system to do something to help with the issues which bring young people into court in the first place. And, by volunteering with young people, I get an opportunity to act as a positive role model, encouraging good choices and pro-social behavior. Finally, I have experiences in my personal life which make me a better judicial officer.

In 2010, when my mother passed away, I was named as executor of her estate. I know from that experience the amount of stress an estate puts on a family, and those working to carry out the last wishes of a loved one. My experience in that role pushes me to get court matters resolved in a timely manner, as the families appearing in this court deserve timely resolution of their cases.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
For the vast majority of my career, I have worked in the juvenile justice system. For the last 14 years, I have served as magistrate in the Licking County Probate-Juvenile Court, and have been blessed to work with people who truly care about the children, the people, and the families of this community.

My biggest motivation in running for judge of the Probate-Juvenile Court is to continue to work with these people, and serve the families of this county. I have worked in other parts of the court system, and found that the best part of the justice system, for me, is the Probate-Juvenile Court. It is the one place in the system where every case carries with it hope. Hope for the people who come before the court, hope for the families that come to us in crisis, hope for the children who come to us in need of a helping hand.

I am the most qualified candidate for this position. I have been an attorney for 25 years, of which 21 were spent working in some fashion in the Licking County Probate-Juvenile Court. For the last 14 years, I have served as Magistrate for the Probate-Juvenile Court, so I have ample judicial experience in this court. For the last few years, I have been serving as Chief Magistrate, which means that I have been not only hearing cases in the Probate and Juvenile Courts, but also helping with the administration of these courts. I have full understanding of all aspects of the job, because I have been doing that job for several years. Thank you for taking the time to read about me.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
None

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I received an undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University and earned my law degree from Capital University School of Law. I am a litigation attorney at the law firm of Eastman & Smith, Ltd. in Toledo, Ohio, where I advocate on behalf of clients in trial and appellate courts throughout Ohio. I also worked as a Judicial Attorney at the Ohio Supreme Court for retired Justice Terrence O’Donnell. This position allowed me to gain in-depth knowledge of the appellate process. Additionally, I worked as an Attorney Rules Analyst for the Ohio General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR), which is responsible for reviewing proposed rules from over 100 state agencies.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I believe that we all have a duty to do good in our communities. Serving as a judge on the Sixth District Court of Appeals is one way that I can serve my community. I also have the experience, integrity, and temperament to be a judge. If elected, I will always seek to protect and preserve the rights of individuals and businesses and make decisions based on the law, not my personal or political beliefs.

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
NA

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I litigated and tried cases (to judges and juries) in state and federal courts in Ohio and around the country for nearly two decades. In my practice, I represented businesses and individuals in class actions, product liability claims, trade secret disputes, contract actions, personal injury claims, and other complex litigation matters. A significant portion of my practice consisted of appellate work in state and federal courts, and I argued before the Ohio Supreme Court, the Sixth Circuit, and state and federal appellate courts.

Throughout my career, I maintained an active pro bono practice, representing those who could not otherwise afford a lawyer. Much of this work involved criminal cases and also involved serving as co-counsel with the Ohio Innocence Project, representing innocent defendants wrongly convicted of crimes. This experience, along with my civil background, equipped me to oversee the general docket of the common pleas court where I know serve as a judge, handling a wide range of civil disputes and felony criminal cases.

Outside of the practice of law and my judicial service, I was a partner at two major law firms, which gave me insights into the rapidly changing business environment and its effect on those coming into court. Additionally, I have remained active in the community, serving on the boards of several not-for-profits. Before attending law school, I worked for 3 years in a state legislature, where I learned first-hand the difference between the political branches of our government and the proper judicial role.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
Every litigant who comes into court — whether in a civil or criminal case — deserves to have a fair hearing and to be treated with dignity and respect. In my experience, too often courts have fallen short in this regard. Since taking the bench, I have worked hard to give parties their day in court and to handle cases differently to avoid the types of pitfalls I too often saw in practice.

As just one example: civil cases often languish in discovery with parties getting bogged down in disputes without ever seeing the Judge or hearing from the court. I am actively managing my docket to keep cases moving toward resolution on the merits, not on disagreements over discovery. I am approaching the criminal docket the same way, adopting new or different practices to help address the perception that the criminal justice system has failed too many of our fellow citizens.

I am running to keep my current seat on the common pleas court because my background and experience allow me to bring an overlooked perspective to the court and to help ensure and improve the administration of justice in our State’s judicial system.