Vettori makes strong case for county court judgeship

When Loren Popio was appointed in July 2001 by Gov. Bob Taft to fill a vacancy on the Mahoning County Court bench, it was a foregone conclusion that he would have opposition when he sought election this year to serve out the unexpired term. That's because Popio's appointment to the judgeship was so unexpected.
His legal specialty as a mediator certainly didn't make him a prime candidate for the bench. We acknowledge that the governor has every right to be partisan when filling judicial vacancies, but the voters have an obligation to go beyond party labels and base their decisions on an individual's professional r & eacute;sum & eacute;.
Popio certainly meets the basic qualifications to serve as a county court judge, but when his experience and background are compared with those of the two other candidates in next month's election, he does not fare well.
He is being challenged by Diane S. Vettori, a former assistant prosecutor with an extensive criminal and civil law practice, and Michael B. Dockry, who resigned from his position as Austintown Township administrator to run for the county court position. Even though judicial races in the general election are nonpartisan, it is noteworthy that Dockry, like Popio, is a Republican, while Vettori is a Democrat.
After meeting with each of the candidates and reviewing the questionnaires they submitted, the editorial board of The Vindicator has concluded that Vettori's familiarity with the criminal justice system in Mahoning County -- she practices in the county, common pleas and Youngstown municipal courts -- and her passion for the law make her the obvious choice.
We endorse her candidacy and urge voters to pay attention not only to this judicial race but the other contests for the bench in Mahoning County, namely common pleas and 7th District Court of Appeals, and for the Ohio Supreme Court. Our endorsement in the appeals court race was published Friday.
It is a truism of elections that a significant number of voters simply ignore judicial races on the ballot, and that's unfortunate.
As the federal government's crackdown on government corruption and organized crime in Mahoning County has shown, the criminal justice system is at risk when the wrong individuals are elected to the bench. The imprisonment of judges, prosecutors and lawyers for their involvement in a criminal enterprise that sold justice should persuade voters not to take the judiciary for granted.
Sentencing guidelines
Indeed, one of Vettori's main goals, if she is elected, is to ensure the "fair and consistent" dispensation of justice. She believes that the applicable procedures on sentencing should be followed and would use the sentencing guidelines established by the Ohio General Assembly and adopted by the Ohio Supreme Court "in the manner that they are intended."
The former prosecutor also intends to aggressively pursue all unpaid fines and court costs, as well as previously neglected forfeitures on civil bonds and recognizance bonds, which would give the county court system a significant boost in revenue.
While Popio has shown a willingness to be creative during his relatively brief tenure -- his "Peace at Home" program aimed at reducing the number of domestic violence cases is noteworthy -- we find his lack of a diverse legal background troubling.
The Vindicator believes the county criminal justice system will be served well, fairly and efficiently with Vettori as one of the four county court judges.