Six candidates are running for an open Mahoning County Court judge seat
Several say they want to restore integrity to court
YOUNGSTOWN
Six candidates are running for an open Mahoning County Area Court judge position with each touting their experience as the reason to elect them.
The candidates on the Nov. 6 ballot are: Matt Gambrel of Boardman, Christopher Sammarone of Canfield, J.P. Morgan of Canfield, Kathi McNabb Welsh of Boardman, A. Ross Douglass of Canfield and Molly Johnson of Canfield.
They’re seeking to succeed suspended Judge Diane Vettori, who was elected to the position in 2002 and didn’t seek re-election this year.
Judge Vettori of Canfield faces charges of mail fraud, structuring cash deposits and making false statements to law-enforcement officers. She is prohibited by the Ohio Supreme Court from hearing cases while her case is pending.
Federal prosecutors accuse Judge Vettori, in her capacity as a private attorney, of stealing at least $96,200 from the Glenwood Avenue property of Dolores Falgiani after Falgiani died in March 2016. She also is accused of depositing that money in a way that avoided federal reporting requirements and of lying to FBI agents when confronted about the matter.
Several of the candidates say they are running to restore integrity to the court.
“You need people in there with clean records – a moral compass who aren’t willing to compromise their values,” Gambrel said. “My professional experience coupled with my community service separates me from the other candidates.”
Gambrel has practiced law since 2008 with a criminal practice that goes from low-end misdemeanors to high-level felonies.
Sammarone said he’s been an attorney for nearly 20 years and has handled hundreds of cases. He also represents the county Board of Developmental Disabilities in probate matters affecting clients the board serves, represents the county land bank and is an administrative hearing examiner with the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
“Being a judge is the epitome of our profession,” he said. “I think I’d be a great judge. I’d be fair and impartial.”
Morgan, an attorney for 17 years, said, “Having lived in this [Mahoning] Valley since a young age, I have seen how corruption and poor decisions by local officials and judges have eroded public confidence and trust in our government and courts. This is not acceptable to me. I want to serve as a judge to bring integrity and a restored trust to the bench I seek.”
If elected, Morgan said he would run a court that “acts expediently and efficiently,” meaning court would start on time and law-enforcement officers in the courtroom would be given priority in scheduling so they could return quickly to their regular duties.
McNabb Welsh has served as the county’s chief deputy clerk of courts since December 1994 and has been a member of the county’s education service center’s governing board since June 2003. She’s a former assistant county prosecutor and worked as chief assistant Akron city prosecutor.
“I am running because I believe that my unique qualifications and record of qualified and ethical service to the law and the community make me an ideal candidate for county court judge,” she said. “Throughout my legal career and my career in public service, I have held true to my core values of hard work, honesty and integrity.”
Douglass said, “As citizens of Mahoning County, we have suffered repeated harm and embarrassment as a result of the criminal actions and ineptitude of so many of our elected officials. As someone who has spent the last 17 years in a courtroom, I have gained the highest respect for the office, and I know how important [it is] for the citizens of Mahoning County to have a qualified judge. Throughout my experience as a trial attorney, I have proven that I have the integrity to serve in this most respected capacity.”
Johnson said: “I’m tired of corruption in the Mahoning Valley and want to do something about it. I’m running because county court judges have an ability to protect children, safeguard the community and be a positive force for our community.”
There are two other county court judicial seats on the ballot with incumbents Scott D. Hunter and Joseph M. Houser, both of Boardman, running unopposed.