Party: Rep
Occupation: Judge, Franklin County Common Pleas Court
Position you are seeking: Ohio Supreme Court Justice
Work Experience: Previously served as Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor and Director of the Special Victims Unit / Municipal Court Judge
Education: Undergrad at Bowling Green State University / Law Degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
Campaign email: info@hawkinsforjustice.com
Website: HawkinsForJustice.com
Facebook: facebook.com/electjudgehawkins
Age: 48
What in your background qualifies you to serve in this position?
I spent 13 years in the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, the last 10 of which were as Director of the Special Victims Unit. In 2013 I became Judge of the Environmental Division of the Franklin County Municipal Court, which handles cases involving nuisance properties, zoning, building, and safety code violations, as well as animal cruelty and illegal dumping. Finally, I have served as Judge in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division since 2019, where I serve over 1.3 million citizens in the busiest court in Ohio. The Common Pleas Court has jurisdiction over all felony criminal matters and civil matters with no dollar limit, in addition to handling appeals from the various state administrative agencies.
Why are you running for this position?
I am a life-long and proud Ohioan who wants this state to be safe, free, and prosperous so that my children, and all Ohioans, can finish school, get a job, and raise a family here just as I have been able to. I want to keep politics out of the courtroom and help protect our freedom and the rule of law.
What is your platform?
In terms of judicial philosophy, I believe a judge’s role is to determine what the law is and apply the law to the cases in front of him/her. A court sits to resolve cases and controversies – not question and issues. It’s not a judge’s job to legislate or to provide guidance – rather, their job is to call balls and strikes and simply decide the case before the court.
What are the most pressing issues facing Clermont County that come before someone who is elected to the position you seek?
As an Ohio Supreme Court Justice, my decisions would impact the entire state. What I believe all Ohioans, including those in Clermont County, want is a Justice and Court who examine the facts of a case and base their decision on the plain letter of the law, not a Justice who comes before a case with a predetermined outcome in their mind and attempts to bend the facts to come to that conclusion.
If elected, what would you seek to enhance and improve Clermont County?
In a position like Supreme Court Justice that would have a statewide impact, my guiding principle would be to make Ohio a safe place to live, work, and raise a family. To do this, we need to know that laws will be enforced as they are on the books and we will not have activist judges who legislate from the bench.