Judge explains why he's running for Ohio Supreme Court

SANDUSKY — Craig Baldwin said it's important to him as a judge to make sure people believe they've been treated fairly.Baldwin, 54, said he'll take that philosophy to Columbus if he's elected this fall to serve on the Ohio Supreme Court."People should be treated with dignity and respect in the courthouse and the system," he said.Baldwin talked about his race while appearing on Between the Lines Live, the Sandusky Register's public affairs program, Wednesday afternoon. The interview, about 15 minutes long, is available for demand viewing at sanduskyregister.com/btl.Ohioans will vote this fall on two races to fill seats on the Ohio Supreme Court.Baldwin, a Republican, is running against Democrat Michael P. Donnelly.Donnelly is a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge. The two are running for a seat that will become vacant after the retirement of current Justice Terrence O'Donnell, who must leave because of age limits on the high court. No Supreme Court justice is allowed to take the oath of office after turning 70.Another race will pit Republican Mary DeGenaro against Democrat Melody J. Stewart. Gov. John Kasich appointed DeGenaro to fill the seat formerly held by Bill O'Neill, who left the court to pursue an unsuccessful Democratic race for governor.Baldwin has worked as an attorney in private practice, as the administrator of a county child support agency and as a Licking County Common Pleas judge, working in domestic relations.Since 2013, he's been a member of a three-judge panel for the Fifth District Court of Appeals, which is based in Canton.Every civil and criminal case decided within the multi-county area served by the court may appeal the decision, Baldwin said. Any Ohio citizen is guaranteed one appeal, challenging a lower court ruling or conviction on the facts or the law.The next possible appeal after the court of appeals is to the Ohio Supreme Court, but the high court gets to decide which cases it will hear and mostly takes on cases of great public interest, or cases where there are conflicting decisions by lower courts. It must take all death penalty cases, however, Baldwin said.Explaining his philosophy, Baldwin said judges should rule on the issue in front of them, but not "legislate from the bench."While judges can strike down laws that are unconstitutional, it's the legislature's job to make new law, he said."Legislators make the law. We interpret the law," he said.Ohio Supreme Court justices serve six-year terms. They can serve past age 70, but they can't begin a new term after their 70th birthday.State voters have been asked whether to eliminate the age limit, but the proposal was decisively defeated the last time it appeared on the ballot, Baldwin said.Reach reporter Tom Jackson at jackson@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @jacksontom.Ohio Supreme Court candidate Craig Baldwin appears on Between the Lines to talk about his campaign on Wednesday, May 16, 2018.