At an annual dinner to honor an American president and lawyer, local Republicans hosted an Ohioan with a 30-year career in the legal profession.
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judith French spoke at the Athens County Republican Party’s Abraham Lincoln Day Dinner, drawing parallels between the former president and her judicial philosophy.
One of Lincoln’s most effective attributes as president was his respect for the United States Constitution, French said, adding that she considers herself to also have a strict interpretation of national and state law.
“As a conservative judge, I see my job as being limited,” French said. “It’s not my job to write the laws, it’s my job to interpret them.”
Though Lincoln has been dead for almost 150 years, French said the modern Republican Party still reflects his political ideology.
“I think he’d approve of my judicial philosophy and I suspect he’d support (the Republican Party’s) as well,” she said.
Since being appointed to the Ohio Supreme Court last December, French has been effective at balancing judicial objectivity with her conservative ideals, said Pete Couladis, chairman of the Athens County Republican Party.
“It’s tough for a judicial officeholder or candidate because they’re not supposed to talk about issues,” Couladis said. “A lot of people ask them where they stand on gun control and where they stand on abortion. They’re not allowed to say (their stance).”
Despite losses in the U.S. presidential election and Athens County elections this past November, French said she expects Republicans to rally together behind candidates, which will lead to success in the 2014 midterm elections.
“My hope is that we will move toward unity in our party and in our community,” she said.
French, who was appointed to the court by Gov. John Kasich this past December, said the prominence of Democrats in Athens County won’t deter her from returning to Athens before the 2014 Ohio Supreme Court election.
French’s visit to Athens was a rare opportunity for local Republicans to interact with state politicians, said George McCarthy, a private attorney nominated by the county party to fill Judge Michael Ward’s seat as Athens County Court of Common Pleas justice.
“It’s not a big Republican area, so it’s nice to have someone come down from the state government and pay attention,” McCarthy said. “To have someone come down from our state party is a big deal.”
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