The editors of Weapons of Mass Discussion are proud to announce our endorsement of Judge Ringland and Judge Hendrickson for the two seats on the Twelfth District Court of Appeals. Both of these gentlemen represent the sort of temperment and judgement for the job and we have been most impressed with their experience.Judge Robert Ringland stands unopposed for his seat, but Judge Robert Hendrickson is facing Mary McElwee in the primary on March 4th. We shall focus on Hendrickson/McElwee for the remainder of this statement.
Judge Hendrickson is the endorsed candidate of the Republican Party in Butler and Brown counties of which the editors are members of the respective Central Committees. He has demonstrated himself to be a capable judge and best suited for the position. We believe that this letter to the editor published in the Middletown Journal sums up our reasoning very well:
Judge Robert Hendrickson is running for the 12th District Court of Appeals and I believe he is the right choice for the right reasons.Having met Judge Hendrickson and his wife last weekend, the editors of "Weapons of Mass Discussion" fully support and endorse Judge Hendrickson for the Twefth District Court of Appeals and encourage residents of the district to cast their votes accordingly.
Judge Hendrickson's father, retired Judge William R. Hendrickson, sat on the Court of Appeals bench with my late uncle, Judge Fred Jones.
Judge Hendrickson is a lifelong resident, voter and community volunteer within our appellate district. His opponent, Magistrate (Mary) McElwee, is a lifelong resident of Hamilton County who only recently rented a home within the appellate district just before the filing deadline so she could run for this seat while her husband retains his domicile and voter registration in Hamilton County. Being a lifelong resident in the 12th District Court of Appeals isn't absolutely necessary, but it does give Judge Hendrickson a deeper sense of accountability to the residents who vote and have their cases heard before the appellate court.
Judge Hendrickson has the better qualifications and experience. He has been elected four times. He's been a trial judge for more than 11 years and an active trial attorney for more than 23 years, giving him the best ability to defeat the Democrat opponent in November. Having served as a trial judge is very important at the appellate level because appellate judges are required to review a lower trial judge's actions and decisions. His opponent is only a magistrate who serves at the pleasure of the appointing judge and cannot preside over criminal jury trials. She has never been elected as a judge before and now wants to leap from a magistrate to an appellate judge.
Judge Hendrickson is the right choice for the right reasons. He has proven that he is electable; he has the best experience and qualifications; and he is a conservative man of strong religious convictions. I ask you to join me and all of the elected non-judicial Warren County officeholders who have endorsed and are voting for Judge Hendrickson on March 4.
Pat South
Warren County commissioner
Lebanon
