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Left
to right: Diane Delaplane, BPW First Vice President; Julie Monnin,
Incumbent Municipal Judge
(D) Candidate; Jane Carroll, BPW President;
Jesse Green, (R) Candidate for Municipal Judge
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Monnin, Green debate
at BPW meeting
Incumbent Julie Monnin and challenger Jesse Green spar over their
approaches to the elected position of Muncipal Court judge
By Elaine Bailey
Senior Scribe
In a recent meeting at the Brick Room of the Brethren Retirement
Community, the first of the year for the Greenville Business
Professional Women’s Club, Julie Monnin, sitting Muncipal Court Judge,
debated her challenger, Jesse Green. The candidates were introduced by
BPW President Jane Carroll.
The three prominently differing opinions between the two candidates
were courtroom security, the presence of a municipal court probation
department, and the manner in which fines and court costs are collected.
During her tenure, Monnin increased courtroom security, created a
second probation department, and contracted a collection agency.
Current security measures include locked doors, security scanner and/or
wand, and the search of bags and purses.
Green said he is running for Municipal Court Judge because he believes
that people should be treated with dignity, courtesy, and
respect. If elected, Green would create a “user friendly court.”
He said he does not dismiss the need for security. However, he
believes that a judge is responsible for serving the people and can do
so while utilizing fewer security measures. He also pointed out
that there are no locks or metal detectors for the Common Pleas Court,
where more serious offenses are heard.
Monnin said she supports the security procedures which were implemented
over four years and based on the physical security analysis report
released by the Supreme Court of Ohio, Office of Court Security in June
of 2005. The report is available here.
Monnin illustrated the need for increased security when she showed the
audience a butterfly knife that was confiscated. She also
reminded the audience of the attack made on Judge McClure in 2007 and
of a woman who brought a knife with a twelve-inch blade into the
courthouse.
Monnin pointed out that the courtroom is located on the fourth floor of
the courthouse. Visitors have full access to the courtroom and its
offices. Between 6500 and 7000 cases, representing various
degrees of offenses, are heard annually. Approximately 1200 are
criminal, 2200 traffic, and the remaining are small claims or civil
cases. This composite creates a mixed audience during scheduled
hearings.
The security measures, 100 percent of those recommended by the Supreme
Court of Ohio, attempts to provide a more secure setting for everyone.
“It would be a shame to take those measures out,” Monnin said.
The second issue, the need for a probation department in the municipal
court, was defended by Monnin. She emphasized that special
project fund money - not the general fund - is used to support the
program.
She said that in order to meet expected mandates and unable to
accomplish it internally, the probation department was created to
increase the accountability of the defendants in following through on
court orders.
The Municipal Probation Department covers approximately 2000
cases. The department allows closer monitoring of the defendants,
monitors those on house arrest, and allows for creative alternatives to
jail time, as the daily cost for jail time is $58.
Green said he feels that a probation department for the municipal court
is not necessary. He challenged that the Adult Probation
Department was not “overworked” as Monnin suggested. He knew for a fact
that Gene Whittington, Adult Community Service Coordinator of the Adult
Probation Department, nearly lost his job with the start of the second
probation department because the lion’s share of people going into
Community Service shifted. He also pointed out that Monnin’s
brother-in-law serves in the position.
Monnin clarified that community service is different from
probation. Community service was restructured to provide
defendants opportunities to be responsible and acquire skills while
working at a “job.” Defendants choose from a list of 25 work
options and work to the satisfaction of the supervisor. She added that
her brother-in-law was hired after a former employee holding the
position retired.
“He [brother-in-law] does an excellent job. He has great work
ethic, and he is a wonderful man… I would hire him again,” she said.
In an effort to increase the defendant’s accountability for court fines
and fees and to recover monies that are owed to the taxpayers, Monnin
contracts with Capital Recovery from Franklin County, Ohio for
collections. Collections are made in this order: fines, court
costs, and then collection fees. This method passes the expense of
collecting monies on to the defendants.
Green said he believes that with current economic conditions, three
weeks may not be enough time for defendants to pay fines and court
costs. He points out that there are other options to turning
defendants over to collection agencies, and that is to give then the
opportunity to return to court to explain why the fines are not being
paid.
The Municipal Court Judge became an elected position six years ago.
Monnin gave introductory remarks first, followed by Jesse Green, before
the audience asked questions.
In her opening remarks, Judge Julie Monnin expressed pride in going
above and beyond while conducting the business of an effective
judge. One particular endeavor was when she spent 24 hours as a
practice inmate in a new jail.
She said this “on the job training” helped her understand how a jail
works and operates. It moved her to be selective when determining
jail sentences and to be more creative with alternative punishments,
particularly for first time offenders.
In his opening remarks, Jesse Green shared his values and
background. He is proud of his achievements, the outcome of a
strong work ethic, and gives credit to his parents George and Kay
Green; his wife Tammy; and Dan Wright, his employer at the Union City
IGA when Green was a teen. His belief in working hard and
treating others with dignity, courtesy, and respect come from family,
military, and work experiences.
The candidates will meet again at 7:00 on Monday, October 24 at the
American Legion under the sponsorship of the League of Women Voters of
Darke County.
In other business, Susan Fowble presented Jane Carroll with a letter
from Keith Faber and a commendation from Tom Niehaus, President of the
Ohio Senate. The citation was for receiving the 2011 Woman of the Year
by the Greenville Business and Professional Women’s Club.
Download Monnin introductioin here
Downlaod Green introduction here
View Senate proclamation here
View letter from Sen. Keith Faber here
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