Reminder: In this race, voters must choose two candidates. The top two candidates win election.
Judges play an understated role in the U.S. While legislators write and pass the laws and mayors, governors and presidents enforce the laws, judges interpret the laws. In a sense, this can be just as important as writing the law. Sentencing in particular can decide the weight of a law.
So it’s refreshing to see the two Democratic candidates for the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas tout that power when running for office. Nadine Allen, the Democratic incumbent, is running on solving jail overcrowding issues. Meanwhile, Stephen Black, the Democratic challenger, wants to reduce time required to resolve cases. Both of these moves make the justice system more efficient while mitigating overcrowding in jails and prisons — a serious, expensive issue that both Republicans and Democrats acknowledge. That’s why we endorse them over their Republican opponents, Leslie Ghiz and Heather Russell.