4 questions for the candidates for Hamilton County Prosecutor (2024)

4 questions for the candidates for Hamilton County Prosecutor (1)

In the race for Hamilton County Prosecutor, the county's current prosecutor, Republican Melissa Powers, is facing Democrat Connie Pillich, a former state representative. The winner will hold the most powerful law enforcement office in the county for the next four years.

We asked each three of the same or similar questions. Additionally, Powers was asked about whether she supports former President Donald Trump. Pillich was asked about concerns about her lack of experience.

More:Millions spent to elect Hamilton County prosecutor. See biggest donors to Powers, Pillich

What would you change about the prosecutor's office, if elected?

PILLICH: I have four goals to improve the effectiveness and accountability of the prosecutor’s office:train our lawyers, audit our work, double down on ethics, and modernize the office.

  1. Train our lawyers.About 110 lawyers serve as assistant prosecutors, handling the day-to-day criminal cases in the courtrooms and on appeal.While the City of Cincinnati’s prosecutor has a robust six-week training program for its assistant prosecutors, Hamilton County does not have one.I will create a training program to make sure our assistant prosecutors are prepared for court before they ever set foot in a courtroom.
  2. Audit our work.After five murder convictions were tossed out in the last two years, a rape conviction in April was reversed on appeal, and broadly publicized political favors surfaced in June, this prosecutor’s office needs to review its work.An internal audit program will allow us to do this without bias. I did this sort of work in the military, when I was safeguarding top secrets and nuclear war plans.
  3. Double down on ethics. We need an ethics department for two reasons.First, assistant prosecutors who are weighing whether or not to disclose certain evidence to the defense need a safe place to get some solid, ethical, legal advice.And second, given the office's role as legal counsel for the county commissioners, sheriff, Metropolitan Sewer District and all other county-operated agencies, ethics should be among the most important considerations to protect our taxpayers.
  4. Modernize the office.This not only includes updating the computer case management system and utilizing new technology, but it also means creating professional hiring and operating guidelines for the office.With 200 people on staff and a long history of patronage hiring and nepotism, this office needs a qualified HR department.Instead of handing out jobs (some without job descriptions or duties) to political friends, I will ensure our professionally run offices will allow us to attract top talent to serve our county and help keep our community safe.

What are you worried would change if you lose?

POWERS: I am genuinely worried about the future of Hamilton County if I were to lose this election. My opponent has zero relevant experience that qualifies her to hold this office. She has never prosecuted a case in her life and has not been inside a courtroom in almost twenty years. She has shown zero interest in the law or being a lawyer as she hopped from candidacy to candidacy looking for a political job.

Even since re-activating her law license last year, she has failed to take a single case or spend a single minute in court practicing criminal law. You wouldn’t want a doctor performing your surgery who hadn’t practiced medicine in twenty years, you wouldn’t want electrician re-wiring your house who hadn’t touched an electrical cord in 20 years, and you shouldn’t want a prosecutor who hasn’t actually worked as a lawyer in that time either.

My opponent also aligns herself with political radicals who view the justice system as a means to help and serve criminals, as opposed to victims of crime and our community. As an elected state representative, she voted against laws to help victims of sexual assault, against laws that would have strengthened punishments for sex traffickers and voted in favor of laws to give criminal defendants more rights.

Should she win the election, the prosecutor’s office will become yet another arm of the radical, progressive push to decriminalize offenses, engage in selective prosecution and advocate for radical social change. This will not only make us less safe, but it will also undo the decades of progress we have made in Hamilton County that has made our region a great place to do business and raise a family.

Additionally, a win by my opponent would mean that we effectively have single-party control of our county and city governments. We have seen firsthand with Cincinnati City Council how quickly and pervasively corruption and illegal activity can occur when no one is watching out for the citizens and taxpayers. With one party controlling every office, including the office charged with investigating and prosecuting government malfeasance, negative consequences will almost certainly follow.

Do you support former President Trump for re-election? How do you square that with him being a convicted felon who has ridiculed prosecutors?

POWERS: Four years ago, our economy was stronger, our borders more secure, the cost of gas, groceries and childcare lower, and our quality of life was better. We have a lot of work to do to keep our community safe and our economy strong, and by nearly every measure on those issues, voters believe Donald Trump did a better job than our current administration. As I agree, I will personally be voting for him this November.

While former President Trump stands convicted of felony charges, it is important to note that he maintains his innocence and is availing himself of his legal appellate rights. As I know from my decades of experience in the courtroom, a verdict at trial is no guarantee of any final outcome.

Having said that, I have significant concerns with the way both candidates in this race view the role of prosecutors. The comments made by former President Trump about the prosecutors and judges handling his cases are inflammatory and undermine the public confidence in the judicial process. On the other hand, the use of prosecutorial power by the current administration against a former president and current candidate for office is virtually unheard of in the history of our nation. When prosecutions are politically motivated or when litigants claim the outcome to be politically predetermined, it undermines confidence in the judicial process.

The job of a prosecutor is to seek justice and follow the law without regard to politics or personal feelings. I am deeply frustrated that politicians in both parties are all too willing to forget this when it is politically expedient to do so.

How do you reassure voters who are concerned that you have never been a prosecutor and have practiced only civil law in the last decade?

PILLICH: Being the prosecuting attorney requires leadership, integrity and the courage to make tough decisions. My career as an Air Force captain, state legislator and felony public defender has prepared me for this role in unique ways.

In the military, I received the best leadership training in the world.As an attorney, I successfully handled felony criminal cases and cases where people’s livelihoods were on the line.In civil court, I prosecuted scam artists and bad actors who took advantage of innocent Ohioans. I even won a case at the Ohio Supreme Court.

In and out of the courtroom, I have proven my mettle. I’ve been fighting for the people of Ohio my entire adult life, whether protecting our country, standing up for veterans, defending abortion rights or taking on predatory lenders.I have never been beholden to special interests or ignored my duties to help political friends.

I bring a fresh perspective that focuses on justice, fairness and protecting our communities.Voters want change, and I am committed to bringing that change to the prosecutor's office by doing what's right − not what's politically expedient.

Juvenile crime has been in the news all summer. How, as prosecutor, would you address it?

POWERS: As a former juvenile court judge, I have a unique understanding of the issues regarding juvenile crime and juvenile violence. As administrative judge, I worked to ensure our community had a court that was responsive to the needs of children and families while also ensuring the safety of our community. I’m also the only candidate in this race that has actually been inside a juvenile courtroom in the last 20 years.

Now, as prosecutor, I’ve taken a number of steps to address juvenile crime in our county. First, I’ve started the first dedicated gang unit in the history of our county. Study after study shows that criminal gangs lead to cycles of violence and retaliation that destroy communities. When gang violence is prevalent, youth often feel pressured to join gangs for their own safety and well-being, leading them to criminal behavior and violence of their own.

Second, I’m committed to seeking incarceration for habitually violent juveniles or juveniles who use guns while committing crimes. My experience as a juvenile court judge has taught me thatjuveniles, even more than adults, need to understand there are consequences to their actions. A “revolving door” juvenile court makes us all less safe when it causes juveniles to believe they can act out criminally with impunity.

Finally, I have spoken up and spoken out to call the community’s attention to this problem. When the juvenile court made the unilateral decision to decriminalize certain offenses, such as assault and resisting arrest, by assigning them to the “unofficial docket,” I spoke up to let the community know. When the juvenile court engages in lax sentencing or has court employees telling children that it’ssometimes OK to run from the police, I spoke up to let the public know. Having an independent prosecutor willing to advocate publicly for safer communities and who will not cave to political pressure is a crucial element in controlling this issue.

PILLICH: Addressing juvenile crime requires a balance of accountability and rehabilitation. As prosecutor, I would work closely with community leaders, schools and social services to focus on early intervention and prevention programs. We need to address the root causes − poverty, lack of opportunity and trauma − and provide resources to steer young people away from crime before it starts.

For those who do enter the justice system, I understand there are cases where pathways to rehabilitation are more appropriate than lifelong consequences, and somewhere that might not be an option.We must provide the resources necessary to break cycles of violence, while still holding those who commit crimes accountable for their actions.

Does Hamilton County need a Housing Court?

PILLICH: Housing issues are often complex and can have a life-changing impact on individuals, families and neighborhoods.These issues can grow into more serious civil or criminal problems.

Properly and thoughtfully structured, a Housing Court could provide more robust services than our current system. It can resolve problems between a landlord and tenant without filing a lawsuit.It can help landlords and tenants understand and meet their obligations before resorting to court action.And it could help alleviate strain on our broader court system.

POWERS: Specialized dockets can be an incredible tool for targeting problems in our community. I saw this while serving as a Hamilton County Municipal Court judge when I created the first veterans treatment court in the state. By bringing together stakeholders, service providers and experts, I was able to get our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan the help they needed to deal with substance abuse and PTSD. I am the only candidate in this race who has participated in the creation of a specialized docket, and I understand how challenging it can be to launch such an initiative.

While we already have a housing docket that is run by the municipal court that does a great job, a dedicated “Housing Court” could be beneficial to our county if it is done correctly. Ideally, you would want any housing court to bring together community stakeholders, landlords, local building and code enforcement officers from municipalities within the county. Many housing and code violation cases originate in local mayor’s courts, and a county-wide housing court would need buy-in from all of these local governments to agree to use the county docket as a clearinghouse for these cases.

You would also need robust support from legal, charitable and faith-based organizations locally to offer help to renters facing eviction or low-income property owners who need help making repairs and maintaining their property. These are all things I accomplished when starting the veterans treatment court as a judge.

4 questions for the candidates for Hamilton County Prosecutor (2024)

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