11TH DISTRICT 2 attorneys hope to be judge for appeals court

The district covers Trumbull, Geauga, Ashtabula, Lake and Portage counties.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Two female attorneys are vying for a seat on the 11th District Court of Appeals.
Colleen M. O'Toole, of Concord, and Mary Jane Trapp, of Russell Township, are both seeking the six-year term.
The winner of the election will replace Judge Judith Christley, who is retiring.
The 11th District Court of Appeals covers the counties of Trumbull, Geauga, Ashtabula, Lake and Portage.
Trapp has lived in the district for 17 years, and O'Toole has been a resident of the district for three years.
O'Toole, a Republican who has been an attorney in private practice for 14 years, says she is seeking the office because she is dedicated to public service.
Trapp, a Democrat who has been a managing partner in the law firm of Apicella & amp; Trapp since 1996, says she is running for the seat because of the importance of the court.
"Only about 10 percent of the cases appealed to the Supreme Court of Ohio are actually accepted, thus final justice usually rests at the court of appeals level," Trapp said.
Their plans
A graduate of John Carroll University and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, O'Toole says if elected, she wants to computerize the court and enable litigants to electronically file their appeals.
Trapp, a past president of the Ohio State Bar Association, says she also wants to expand the use of technology in the court and establish a mediation program to reduce costs.
Trapp says she would also promote outreach to the public to help foster greater confidence in the justice system.
"The judges should not just be seen on the bench," Trapp said. "The community should be invited into the courthouse to observe, and judges should venture out of the courthouse to engage the community in a dialog about the court system."
sinkovich@vindy.com