Trapp, O’Brien seeking 11th District Court of Appeals seat

Former 11th District Court of Appeals Judge Mary Jane Trapp is seeking to return to the bench in the Nov. 6 general election where she will face Jefferson attorney Casey O’Brien.

They are vying to replace retiring Judge Diane V. Grendell.

Appellate judges currently earn $152,850 annually and serve six-year terms. The court reviews lower courts’ cases for errors in the law in Lake, Geauga, Ashtabula, Portage and Trumbull counties. The term begins Feb. 10.

Here is some of what the candidates had to say on the election questionnaires sent to them by The News-Herald.

Casey O’Brien

O’Brien, 43, is an attorney at Ibold & O’Brien (formerly Petersen & Ibold). He is a past member of the Ashtabula County Educational Service Center Board.

If elected, O’Brien said he wants to decrease the length of time it takes to bring cases to conclusion.

He also wants to continue to modernize appellate practice, including additional efforts to enhance mediation programs and to enhance the pro-se process.

Additionally, he said he wants to support efforts district-wide to establish specialized courts and dockets including mental health and veterans dockets and drug courts.

“Over the past 18 years I have practiced in almost every Court in the 11th district which has given me a unique perspective as to the effects this Court has on the wide array of people, businesses and organizations in Northeast Ohio,” he said. “I will treat all cases with the respect and dignity they deserve and will work hard to apply the law both fairly and swiftly. I have experience in almost every area of the law, which, when combined with my life experiences and volunteer service, provides me with a solid foundation for the bench.”

Mary Jane Trapp

Trapp, 62, previously served as an 11th District Appellate Judge from 2007 to 2013.

She said she wants to assure electronic filing and public access to court filings in all five counties by working with each county’s clerk of courts in order to reduce costs for parties.

Trapp said she also wants to reduce the time it takes for decisions to be issued by reevaluating and reinforcing the case tracking system she developed when she was previously on the court.

She also wants to continue working with the legal aid community and bar association legal aid committees to develop free legal advice clinics and other services to meet the growing unmet legal needs in the area.

“After spending 37 years in courtrooms big and small around this state as an attorney helping ordinary people with their extraordinary problems, as a bar association leader fighting for justice system reform, and as a former judge on the court of appeals, I have the earned the trust of those I have served,” she said. I put the constitution and the law first without consideration of politics and special interests.”