For Franklin County Municipal Court judge
Peeples, Thomas, Morehart and Skinner
Franklin County voters will select four judges in the Nov. 7 election for Municipal Court, a bench that requires more than just an excellent knowledge of law and a desire to make a difference in what is often a parade of human misery and stupid mistakes. This is the first court many people come into contact with, through such actions as a drunken-driving charge, an injudicious traffic infraction, an eviction or a plea for protection from a domestic abuser or human trafficker.
This judge, first and foremost, must protect society and impose consequences for illegal behavior. But temperament and life experience are key, because this judge has the opportunity to turn around lives through court monitoring and treatment programs.
After observing incumbents in the courtroom, consulting respected members of the legal community, reviewing qualifications and Columbus Bar Association evaluations, and listening to each candidate answer questions in public forums, The Dispatch endorses Andrea C. Peeples, Jodi Thomas, Cindi Morehart and Jarrod B. Skinner.
All bring a concern for the struggles of the ordinary person and what forces a person to commit actions they might not have imagined themselves taking if they were sober, mentally healthy or simply not desperate. These judges make critical decisions every day.
Peeples, 48, a Democrat, is running for a third term. She is a former assistant city attorney, assistant county prosecutor and a public defender. She is legally smart and fair, and her outgoing personality makes her the clear choice for this bench.
Thomas, 43, a Republican, is highly regarded in the court by attorneys, who cite her fairness, knowledge of the law and even demeanor. She has a background as a licensed social worker, a huge benefit on this bench, and served 13 years as a public defender in Municipal Court. Appointed in April 2016, she is running for an unexpired term that ends in 2019.
Morehart, 63, a Democrat, won an unexpired term in 2015, unseating Republican gubernatorial appointee Sean McCarthy, who is running again against her. McCarthy was a good judge, but Morehart has done a solid job — especially in overseeing the court’s mental-health specialty docket — and deserves to keep the job. She was a Domestic Relations/ Juvenile Court magistrate for a decade and also an assistant city attorney and assistant county prosecutor.
In the race for an open seat, Skinner, 38, a Democrat, is the best choice. He is open-minded, interacts well with people of all stations of life — he grew up in the Bronx — and shows flashes of brilliance in his current position as a senior assistant prosecutor in the Columbus City Attorney’s Office. He has a strong future.
He is opposed by an impressive Republican, Glenn P. Willer, 57, a retired police sergeant who also is a Columbus senior assistant prosecutor. Willer strikes us as tough, but fair, with an analytical mind; we think he is better suited for the Common Pleas Court, which deals with felons, and we hope he’ll look to run for that bench.
The Dispatch recommends voters elect Andrea C. Peeples, Jodi Thomas, Cindi Morehart and Jarrod B. Skinner for the office of Municipal Court judge.