CAMPAIGN 2001 Racial controversy enters judge contest

The candidates for Youngstown municipal judge say they're not responsible for bringing the race issue into the campaign.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr., of Youngstown Municipal Court, and Anthony J. Farris, his challenger in the May 8 Democratic primary, have few complimentary things to say about each other.
They both acknowledge that the campaign has strong racial overtones, but they say they are not responsible for them.
Farris, who is white, said that when he told the judge, who is black, that he was running against him and he should not take it personally, that is exactly what Judge Douglas did.
"He's making this a racial issue," Farris said. "Race has given way to the real issues, which are the safety and best interests of Youngstown. I've never said one word about race. The only word on racism is his best friend's radio station talking about race every half-hour. The station virtually says that you're a racist if you don't vote for him."
Judge's supporter: Farris is referring to Atty. Percy Squire, Judge Douglas' longtime friend and former business partner, who is broadcasting editorials on WASN radio in support of the judge's re-election effort.
Squire is considering an independent run for mayor against George M. McKelvey, but he said he would reconsider his plans if McKelvey would endorse Judge Douglas.
Judge Douglas said he is not the one making race an issue. Also, Squire is broadcasting the editorials because he cares about this community, the judge said.
"This campaign is very political, and it has become very distracting in terms of being able to do day-to-day work on the bench," Judge Douglas said.
High-profile case: Judge Douglas said Farris is running on a single campaign issue: The judge's decision to allow certain violent criminals to post bonds that McKelvey, Farris and others said were too low.
The most frequently used example was when Judge Douglas allowed Wayne P. Gilliam, a 19-year-old charged in a January drive-by shooting, to post $5,000 bond, 10 percent of his $50,000 bond. McKelvey wanted the bond to be $500,000 with no option for posting 10 percent. A grand jury declined to indict Gilliam on the murder charge, but the teen is still being held in the Mahoning County Jail on drug charges with bond set at $100,000.
"I'll treat each case on the facts and factors that are presented to me," Judge Douglas said. "I don't know why this is being made into a campaign issue. The only difference between this and other cases is this one involved Judge Douglas."
Farris said the judge set a bond in the Gilliam case that "undervalued public safety and the crime charged."
Related issues: Judge Douglas said people charged with violent crimes such as murder should not appear in municipal court for arraignments. That, he said, should be the responsibility of the county common pleas court, where the cases are eventually resolved.
Farris said he also wants to see more cases presented directly to the grand jury, but the fact is that most people committing violent crimes in Youngstown come into the municipal court and those cases must be handled appropriately.
"It should be done the right way," Farris said. "He shouldn't be setting the bonds so low that the violent criminals are out on the street."
The winner of the Democratic primary has a clear path to the six-year judicial term on the municipal court bench. There is no Republican candidate. Independent candidates who want to run in the Nov. 6 election have until May 7 to file their petitions. None has filed to date.
Judge Elizabeth A. Kobly of Youngstown Municipal Court is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for a six-year term. She, too, has no Republican opposition and no independents have filed to challenge her in the November election.