Supreme Court Justice Pat Fischer visits the Vibe Coffeehouse & Café.
Precious Grundy | The Lima News
LIMA — Supreme Court Justice Pat Fischer made a visit to Lima Thursday afternoon. He is currently running for re-election in the state of Ohio Supreme Justice. He hopes this election will grant him a second term.
Pat Fischer will be running against Democratic Judge Terri Jamison.
Pat Fischer was elected as an Ohio Supreme Court Justice in 2016. Although this was his first term as a Justice, he is no stranger to the judicial branch of government. Fischer practiced law for over 30 years after graduating with honors from the Harvard School of Law.
Fischer wants voters to know he is experienced, respected and conservative.
”I believe in enforcing the written text,” said Fischer. “Some people call me a textualist. I truly believe the words matter. I gave up practicing as a lawyer because I also believe every judge matters. I wanted to provide what I thought would be a good judge for everyone. Fair and impartial. I represented both plaintiffs and defendants.”
Fischer has partnered with Supreme Court Justices Pat DeWine, who is running for re-election, and Sharon Kennedy, who is running for Chief Justice. Together they share a common goal: predictability.
”To me, (predictability) means the wording of a constitution, statute or contract,” said Fischer. “People can’t organize their lives if the law is changing all the time. If the law is predictable, that helps everyone, even if you are just crossing the street.”
Fischer uses a unique tool when considering judicial law; the book of Micah.
“I feel hopeful this election. I’m an incumbent. People know what I have written and they can judge for themselves,” added Fischer. “I remember the verse, ‘He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God,” said Fischer. “I also think of our State of Ohio motto, ‘With God all things are possible.”
Fischer defended his dissenting opinion in the recent Ohio Supreme Court case, DuBose v. McGuffey. The Court’s decision in that case stated that judges cannot set exceedingly high bails for trial defendants based on public safety concerns. Criminal defense attorneys and others claimed the practice disproportionately penalized poor defendants.
In response to that Court decision, Ohio attorney general Dave Yost pushed to get the issue on the ballot in Ohio this fall.
“In the Dubose case, I wrote one of the dissents that a judge cannot consider community safety when setting bail,” said Fischer. “It created such a controversy that the legislature put an amendment on the ballot in November to override this case.”
Election Day will be held on November 2.
For more information on Pat Fischer’s campaign visit fischerforohio.com.
