Fairfield Municipal Court Judge Joyce Campbell, local attorney Greg Howard and Peter D. Meyer, a senior patent attorney for Procter & Gamble, will be screened by a county GOP committee Tuesday, a day before the party will vote on the recommendation to the governor, according County GOP Executive Chairman Todd Hall.
Whomever is chosen will serve two years before needing to run for election in November 2018.
And though Wednesday’s GOP deadline to accept applications to be considered for recommendation has passed, a person could petition for the seat directly to Kasich.
Hedric, 55, died on Sunday, Nov. 13, at a local hospital after he collapsed in his Liberty Twp. home. He was elected to serve as a Butler County Common Pleas judge in November 2006 and re-elected to a second six-year term in November 2012.
“It is important to fill the position in Common Pleas Court to keep continuity and allow the new judge an opportunity to begin comprehending the complexities of the bench,” said County GOP Executive Chairman Todd Hall. “Our Party will do its part and lend our votes to the names presented before us. The governor will make his decision based, most likely, on the names we send to him.”
There were other people considered as possible candidates, but they elected to not be considered, according to the party.
The recommendation meeting will take place Dec. 14 at Tori’s Station in Fairfield.
Meyer was admitted to practice law in 2001 and he attended the University of South Dakota Law School, according to the Ohio Supreme Court’s website. Meyer lives in Ross Twp., where he is also a cattle farmer.
In addition to pattent law, he also litigates cases for Proctor & Gamble and pro bono work for several legal organizations. Meyer grew up on a farm in Northern Minnesota where he said he learned good values and hard work.
After hearing of Hedric’s death, Meyer said he thought it was time to serve his county.
“I think that there is a duty to serve the community and I believe I can best do that service as a judge in the court of common pleas,” Meyer said.
Campbell has been on the Fairfield Municipal Court bench for 17 years, first being appointed in June 1999 after Keith Spaeth left to serve in the Common Pleas Court.
“I thought a lot about this and I believe I have the knowledge, the experience and the proven elect-ability,” said Campbell. “I’ve reached a point in my career that I want to try something new, a different challenge.”
If appointed, she said she’d establish a mental health court, similar to the Treatment Alternative Court she has run for years at Fairfield Municipal Court.
While Howard said he doesn’t have any specific plans like Campbell, he said there are things that could be improved upon in the court “but those would need to be discussed with all the common pleas judges.”
Howard has spent 29 years practicing law in the common pleas court system, and said he’s “comfortable there” and has “a good grasp” of what happens in the common pleas court.
Serving in this position would be important for Howard, who was a close friend with Hedric, and feels a GOP recommendation will carry a lot of weight with Kasich. Howard said he’s gotten a lot of support already, including a letter of endorsement from four current assistant prosecutors.
“It’s very important to get the recommendation of the party and the party knows what is best for the citizens of the county, and hopefully the governor will follow that recommendation,” he said.
Staff writer Lauren Pack contributed to this report.
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