Dems to choose nominee to fill judge's post

Democrats will choose between a judge and an assistant prosecutor.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County Democratic precinct committee members were to select their nominee today to replace retired Judge Robert Lisotto.
The candidates are Judge Elizabeth Kobly of Youngstown Municipal Court and Tim Franken, the chief assistant prosecutor of the county prosecutor's criminal division, who was defeated by Judge Lisotto in the 2002 Democratic primary.
Nominations for other candidates will not be permitted during the precinct committee members' meeting, said Lisa Antonini, Mahoning Democratic chairwoman.
Judge Kobly said she and Franken are good friends and worked closely for about four or five years on death penalty cases when she was an assistant county prosecutor.
Resigned last week
Judge Lisotto, a Democrat, resigned his spot on the county common pleas bench last week because of health problems.
Whoever gets the Democratic precinct committee nod will appear as the party's candidate on the November ballot to fill the remainder of Judge Lisotto's term, which expires Jan. 1, 2009.
The Democratic candidate will face off against a sitting Republican judge in the November election. That's because state law dictates that the decision to temporarily fill the vacant seat rests in the hands of Gov. Bob Taft, a Republican.
The county Republican party will recommend three candidates to Taft as replacements for Judge Lisotto. Taft will select one no later than mid-August.
The recommendations from the county party could come late next week, said Mark Munroe, Mahoning GOP vice chairman.
In all likelihood, the person appointed to the vacant seat by Taft will be the Republicans' candidate in the general election, Munroe said.
Meeting
A meeting of Republican precinct committee members to select their candidate for the November ballot will be held after Taft chooses an interim judge.
The deadline to select a candidate is Aug. 18, so Taft will make his appointment before then, Munroe said.
Four attorneys are interested in the Republican nomination: Maureen Sweeney, Ted Roberts, Elaine Greaves and Leonard Hall. Sweeney and Roberts have run and lost judicial elections, and Hall lost the 2000 Democratic primary for the county prosecutor's race.
Ronald Knickerbocker is no longer interested in the appointment, Munroe said.
skolnick@vindy.com