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Democrat appointed to bench in April defends seat against visiting municipal court magistrate
By Ed Meyer
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Sunday, Oct 19, 2008
Both candidates running for a Summit County Common Pleas Court seat point to their decades of experience as trial lawyers in the state and federal court systems.
But Robert M. Gippin, a Democrat, said he has an asset that sets him apart from Republican challenger Tom Parker.
Since early April, Gippin has served on the common pleas bench in the seat formerly occupied by Marvin A. Shapiro.
Gippin, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, was appointed to the bench by Gov. Ted Strickland after Shapiro retired because of state age requirements.
''I think I had a good understanding of what the job would require when I came into it, and from the feedback I get, I think there's a fairly good degree of satisfaction in how I've handled the matters before me on both the criminal and civil side,'' Gippin said.
Gippin and Parker, an attorney who has been a visiting magistrate in Akron Municipal Court the past three years, both received ''highly recommended'' ratings from the Akron Bar Association Commission on Judicial Candidates.
Parker, who defeated Akron attorney David P. Drew in the Republican primary, said he does not believe Gippin has an advantage as a sitting judge.
''I think the voters know when somebody is handpicked by their party, it's because of a political process and not because of any selection made by our community,'' Parker said.
''The way our voters have long stood behind the idea that we should elect our judges, and not have them appointed, I think that they would prefer that they be the ones that picked the candidate, not some party bosses.''
Parker said practicing law for 29 years, much of that experience in civil cases involving product liability, has prepared him well for a judgeship.
''I have been fortunate to represent people and companies in all of the different kinds of issues that could come before the common pleas court, from some of the most complicated business cases to felony criminal cases to family law matters,'' Parker said.
''And I think that would give me the breadth of experience that I would need. But even beyond that, I've had the opportunity to appear in the courts of 20 different states around the country.
''So I've seen how different judges have done their jobs, and I feel like I've learned from all of them.''
Parker said that statistics show over 60 percent of the common pleas cases filed in the county are civil matters.
''So it is important for a judge to have experience in both civil and criminal law,'' he said.
Ed Meyer can be reached at 330-996-3784 or emeyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
ROBERT M. GIPPIN
Age: 60.
Residence: Akron.
Family: Married, wife Susan, four children.
Occupation: Summit County common pleas judge.
Education: 1969 graduate of Dartmouth College; 1973 graduate of Harvard Law School.
Political history: Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court prosecutor, 1975; appointed by Gov. Ted Strickland to common pleas court bench, April 2008.
TOM PARKER
Age: 54.
Residence: Tallmadge.
Family: Married, wife Melisa, six children.
Occupation: Attorney.
Education: 1976 graduate of Miami University; 1979 graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Political history: Lost in 2006 general election for seat on Summit County Common Pleas Court.
Both candidates running for a Summit County Common Pleas Court seat point to their decades of experience as trial lawyers in the state and federal court systems.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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akron, oh
Posted 09:09 AM, 10/19/2008
To Bad it isnt Kim Hoovers spot.
Posted 01:55 PM, 10/19/2008
Parker seems like he has a good base for the law and gippen just seems to be a partisan stooge. I am going with Parker who I have met at several campaign functions. He just had a way about him that I didn't get when i met Gippen.
