Two long-time city lawyers square off in Campbell judge race
CAMPBELL
The race for Campbell Municipal Court judge features an incumbent with a decade behind the gavel and a former law director who hopes to enrich the court with improved security and technology.
Municipal Judge Patrick Cunning has served for the past 12 years, but his time on that bench may come to an end if Atty. Mark Kolmacic is successful in November’s election.
Both Judge Cunning and Kolmacic have more than three decades of law experience – 33 years for the former and 36 for the latter – and both have served as city employees, with Cunning presiding over the court and Kolmacic formerly spending two terms as Campbell’s law director.
During his time as judge, Cunning obtained a technology grant from the Ohio Supreme Court for use in modernizing the court’s computer systems and, after he designated the Coitsville Administration Building as the court’s emergency site, he authorized funding to improve the facility’s accessibility for people with disabilities.
Judge Cunning also oversaw the implementation of new security measures in the Campbell court, including the purchase of metal detectors, one of which sits at the entrance to the municipal building.
Security is a concern for Kolmacic, who was law director in 2010 when a woman on probation fled the court and was shot by a bailiff during a struggle outside the courthouse. He said experiencing that event made him want to ensure the court is well protected, and noted that while metal detectors have been installed at the court, they were only installed very recently.
Kolmacic has few outward complaints with Judge Cunning’s performance, but believes he can further improve the court as a result of his career experience, which he believes is more relevant to the job. In addition to his experience as a law director, Kolmacic also prosecuted traffic and criminal offenses in the municipal court.
Aside from serving two terms as Campbell’s law director, Kolmacic has run his own private law practice for the past 36 years.
In addition to improving security, Kolmacic also wants to complete a modernization of the court’s computer systems to improve filing efficiency and make the process easier for both the public and attorneys.
He believes that “aspiring to the bench is the natural progression of a lawyer’s career,” and hopes to hold the same position as his father, longtime Campbell Municipal Judge Joseph Kolmacic.
Concerning the opioid crisis, Kolmacic believes a strong probation department is the key to ensuring drug offenders don’t relapse into drug abuse, and prefers probation and – in the case of repeat offenders – jail to a drug court.
Judge Cunning, however, is a major proponent of developing a drug court in addition to a bolstered probation department.
He said the drug court is a “big investment” but that he believes the results are worth the cost.