Candidates for judge make cases at forum
BUTLER TWP — Four candidates vying for the single seat on the Butler County Court of Common Pleas made their appeals to voters Thursday night at the 2019 Candidates Forum hosted by Butler County Community College.
Co-sponsored by the Butler County Chamber of Commerce and the Butler Eagle, the event drew a large crowd eager to learn more about the candidates, their backgrounds and their reasons for running. Candidates Matt Fischer, William “Wink” Robinson Jr., Nicole Thurner and Jennifer Gilliland Vanasdale are all making a bid for the seat vacated last fall by Judge Marilyn Horan when she was appointed to the U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh.
The four spoke candidly about a wide array of topics, including why they want to serve on the bench, their decision-making style, their community involvement, and their mentors. The candidates also discussed the current state of the Court of Common Pleas and how they would improve it if elected.
“Service is not just a word; it's a way of life,” Thurner told the crowd as she highlighted her community service. “I do a lot of work for our communities.”
Thurner talked at length about her work with several organizations and her pro bono work as an attorney. She said her involvement in the community — in particular with youth and family service oriented efforts — makes her the right candidate for the bench because she hopes to introduce court programs aimed at helping youth stay out of the juvenile system.
All the candidates highlighted working with children and families, crediting those experiences as part of the driving force behind their decision to run for judge, and stressing their desire to give back to their community.
For Vanasdale, the connection to give back stemmed from her childhood and being adopted by her parents through the same court she now hopes to preside over.
“Family court gave me my life in this county,” Vanasdale said.
Fischer highlighted experience, patience and common sense as key ingredients to being a judge capable of contemplating before deciding.
“This is their only opportunity to have their dispute settled fairly,” Fischer said of litigants.
Like Fischer, Robinson also considers patience important when it comes to serving as a judge. Robinson said that over the course of his 30-year career as a family law attorney he practiced before 11 common pleas court judges, and saw what worked and what didn't work over time. He hopes to bring those lessons to the bench.
“You need to have quick resolutions,” Robinson said of his desire to improve efficiency in the court. “But you don't want to make quick decisions just to have a resolution. Butler County citizens would want a result that's well thought out.”
The other candidates also stressed a need to make the county courts run more smoothly. Among their ideas, Thurner suggested looking at ways to mediate some cases that wouldn't necessarily need to go before a judge as a way to help decrease caseloads. Fischer pointed out how multiple delays and hearings end up hurting community members forced to take time off work for court appearances, and said he would push for better dialogue between judges and attorneys.
Vanasdale said there would be no favoritism in her courtroom and that everyone would be treated fairly, although she would also be tough.
“This seat should not be bought by the candidate who spends the most money,” Robinson said, noting that he is completely self-funding his campaign.
The other candidates agreed and said they, too, were self-funding their campaigns.
