|
Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues
The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Public financing,
Merit selection,
Racial Fairness
Click on a name for other candidate information.
|
1. Do you support public financing of campaigns for judicial candidates? Why or why not?
|
Answer from Mark P. Painter:
Public financing of judicial campaigns should not be
necessary. Judges should be chosen on merit, and
should be insulated from the political process.
Political campaigns are suitable for choosing
representatives-but the interpretation and
application of the law is not a political act. A proper
system of merit selection must guard against elitism
by including not only lawyers, but other citizens on
selection boards. We should have the best judges,
not the most electable.
|
2. Would you support merit selection of judges? Why or why not?
|
Answer from Mark P. Painter:
Judges should be chosen on merit, and should be
insulated from the political process. Judges should
not campaign for office, because the interpretation
and application of the law should not depend on
majority whim. The very nature of our legal system
is to protect the weak from the strong, the minority
from the majority. We should have the best judges,
not the most electable.
|
3. In light of the Report of the Ohio Commission on Racial Fairness: Reviewing fairness of the Ohio legal system, what do you see as your role in addressing racism within the legal system
|
Answer from Mark P. Painter:
We have come a long way in the last few years, but
not far enough. During my last year in Municipal
Court (1995), sometimes the prosecutor, defense
lawyer, and police officer would all be minorities.
That would not have happened a few short years
before. Because diversity is important, and because
there are eminently qualified people available, the
next judge on our court of appeals should be a
minority. We currently are six white males.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League, but formatted for Web display.
Candidates' statements are presented as
submitted. Word limits for answers are 75 words for each question.
Direct references to opponents are not permitted
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.
| 
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
