League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
Hamilton County, OH November 6, 2012 Election
	Heather S. Russell Answers Questions Candidate for Judge; Court of Common Pleas; 6 Year Term Starting 4/01/13

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What are your qualifications for office? (50 Word limit)

Seventeen years as a prosecutor followed by 11 years as a judge, where I have presided over civil and criminal cases are my qualifications. Voters deserve judges with knowledge and experience of civil and criminal cases, for the complex cases over which they must preside in common pleas court.

2. What programs do you support to maintain the independence of the judiciary?

American Bar Association Ohio State Bar Association Ohio Judicial Conference Ohio Association of Municipal Court Judges Ohio Jury Management Association Cincinnati Bar Association

3. What specific changes would you like to see in the administration of justice in Hamilton County? (100 word limit)

We need to support our "best evidence" treatment programs. Presidiing over a mental health court docket, I see that crimes are driven by drug abuse and mental illness. It's better for everyone if we spend money on the front end of a person's criminal career, where we can divert their activity and help them connect to services, rather than spending the money on the "back end," when there is nothing to do but spend money on incarcerating them. Everyone wins when we help the people who really need it, and save jail for those who really need jail.

---

Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Answers will be cut off if they exceed a word limit, if present. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Contest
SmartVoter Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter

---

Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 2, 2012 11:50
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://www.lwvc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.