Joyce Kimbler handily re-elected common pleas judge

MEDINA — Medina County Common Pleas Judge Joyce V. Kimbler likened Tuesday's election to when she was a trial lawyer for 29 years. Until the jury foreman comes forward and makes his announcement of guilty or innocent, you just never know the verdict. Kimbler amassed 51,781 votes or 60 percent to easily upend challenger Mike Callow with 34,577 votes or 40 percent. Even though she was highly favored in the election for Common Pleas judge, she said she never takes anything for granted until the results from the Medina County Board of Elections are official. It wasn't until her family started congratulating her around 11 p.m. did she start to relax. "I was excited and relieved," Kimbler said. "People don't understand, this takes its toll on the whole family. I have a son with autism. He wants certainty. "Now that we're through that, we can move on with a sense of relief. We'll start planning for the next six years." She said she believes the programming her office has put in place during the last six years might have been the difference in the election. "(The voters) were focusing on all the things we have done," she said. "I was not just a caretaker. I was instituting programs for criminal justice in Medina County." Kimbler, 66, presides over two specialized dockets certified by the Ohio Supreme Court: Drug Court and Mental Health Court. It soon could be joined by veterans court, a program in its planning stages by Medina Municipal Judge Gary Werner that is supported by Kimbler. "It's like mental health court," she said. "A common offense may be because of addiction or homelessness. It's about problem solving that helps meet that need." Kimbler's court is also putting in a new case management system, which should be in place by January. Her bailiff, Brian Scheetz, recently also became Supreme Court-certified. She said he's very knowledgeable and it's helpful to stay on top of all the Supreme Court's guidelines. While in the grocery store recently, Kimbler was told by a shopper she liked the way she handled this campaign. She said she went out of her way to run a positive campaign and to focus on what she's accomplished over the last six years. During the height of COVID-19, her court functioned remotely for probation monitoring. Kimbler said she has noticed fewer overdoses and relapses than many in the state are experiencing. She said before the election she was "the only candidate that has any judicial experience. That makes a difference. (Callow) has no prior judicial experience. He's not been an acting judge. I have handled a death penalty case. He's not death-penalty certified." Callow said there are few death penalty cases in Medina County, but he has broad experience in the court system. "My qualifications were solid for the position," he said. Callow, 50, said he's prepared himself to be judge with 24 years in litigation, including criminal, domestic and appellate work. "I've appeared in 25 courts in 25 different counties and been in every court in Medina County," he said. "My opponent has not. I've represented a large corporation, AIG Insurance and the poorest of the poor. That's the broad experience we need on the bench." Callow and his wife, Julie, wanted to thank his family and friends — and now many new friends — who helped with the campaign. "It was a great opportunity and we are proud of our positive campaign," he said in a statement. "It's hard to beat the career politicians. In this election, incumbents all won across the board. Good people need to continue to step forward and put their hat in the ring. We need positive change in Medina County. I plan on continuing to work on that goal. Thank you to everyone who helped us. It was my privilege." Contact reporter Bob Finnan at (330) 421-4049 or rfinnan@medina-gazette.com.