Ohio Supreme Court candidate Pat DeWine visited the Brown County Fair on Tuesday.
Dewine currently serves on the First District Court of Appeals in Hamilton County.
“I’ve been a judge on the court of appeals and prior to that served as a common pleas judge. I have a strong belief that the role of the courts is to apply the laws as written, not to legislate from the bench,” Dewine said in an interview with The Brown County Press.
“I’m the only person running that has been both a trial judge and on the court of appeals, so I understand how things really work in the trial courts and how the decisions that the supreme court makes affect the safety of our communities.”
DeWine said that the decisions made on the Ohio Supreme Court can affect every citizen in the state.
“In Ohio, we have our own independent constitution, and that guarantees certain rights to Ohio citizens.
It’s important that we have an Ohio Supreme Court comprised of justices who respect the rule of law and who stick to the constitution,” DeWine said.
He added that he also has public service experience from off the bench as well.
“In addition, I have served as a Hamilton County Commissioner and on the Cincinnati City Council, so I understand how the decisions of the supreme court affect other branches of government,” Dewine said.
DeWine is opposed by Judge Cynthia Rice, who currently serves as an Appellate Court Judge for the Eleventh District Court of Appeals.