Mon Feb 13 2012
By Mike Sever
Record-Courier staff writer
Four candidates are vying to succeed Municipal Court Judge John Plough, who is not seeking re-election — Paul Brickner, Becky Doherty, Tommie Jo Marsilio, and Kevin Poland.
All are highlighting their legal experience as making them the best candidate for the job. Three of the four are also running as outsiders of the political power structure. Doherty and Brickner are running as independents. Marsilio is a Republican and Poland is a Democrat. Under Ohio Supreme Court judicial campaign rules, judge candidates do not run under party affiliation after primary elections.
Marsilio made the issue a main point of the campaign when she said a “corrupt Good Old Boy network” was supporting Poland.
She promised to “check politics and personal friendships” at the courthouse door.
Poland replied, saying Marsilio was impugning his reputation and character by making unsubstantiated allegations.
He said he has more than 20 years’ experience in the law and proven performance in administration to run an efficient courtroom. Poland said he has served as an acting municipal court judge for 10 years.
Doherty said she knows how to administer a busy case docket. “The judiciary must owe its allegiance solely to the law, free from political influence,” Doherty said.
Brickner, a Kent resident, earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond (Va.), his law degree from Case Western Reserve University and his advanced law degree from Cleveland State University.
He served more than 20 years as a federal administrative law judge; he was an adjunct law school professor for the University of Akron; was an appellate judge for the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals; and has served as an acting municipal court judge and referee.
Brickner didn’t move to Kent until April, just in time to make the 30-day residency requirement. Before that he lived in Willoughby where he still owns two homes. He has run unsuccessfully at least twice for the 11th District Court of Appeals, which serves a five-county area including Portage. This is his first try for a Portage County judgeship.
Doherty, a Suffield resident, was an assistant prosecutor with the Summit County Prosecutor’s office for 17 years, trying hundreds of felony cases including a number of high-profile violent crimes.
In addition to a private law practice, she is solicitor for the village of Lakemore and has been a special prosecutor for Portage County.
Doherty received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Akron and her law degree from the University of Akron School of Law.
Marsilio, a Garrettsville native and resident, earned her bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University and her law degree from Capital Law School in Columbus.
From 2007 to September, 2009 she was a Portage County assistant prosecutor, representing the board of commissioners, other elected officials and agencies. Prior to that, she was a hearing officer for the Ohio Industrial Commission, and was in private practice with an Aurora law firm.
Poland, a native of Ravenna, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kent State University and his law degree from the University of Akron.
He first joined the Portage County Prosecutor’s office and then practiced law with his father for 12 years until his father’s death. Poland was appointed a Ravenna councilman in 1987 and was named president of council in 1992. He became mayor of Ravenna in 2006.
During his career he has served on several boards including the board of trustees of the Portage County Boys and Girls Club, and the board of the Geauga-Portage County Juvenile Detention Center. He also serves as bar counsel for the Portage County Bar Association with the Ohio Supreme Court Board of Grievances and Discipline.
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