Race for Ironton Municipal Court seat

The race for the next Ironton Municipal Court judge, currently held by Judge Oakley Clark Collins Jr., has begun, as two candidates picked up their nominating petitions to run while another has already filed.

Ironton attorney Mark McCown picked up the nominating petitions two Fridays ago, Ironton attorney Randy Lambert picked up the nominating petitions this past Thursday, and Kevin Waldo, another Ironton attorney, filed with the Board of Elections this past Monday.

“I’m excited to run for Ironton Municipal Court Judge, and for the opportunity to continue giving back to our great community,” McCown said.

Currently in his 20th year of practicing law, McCown is the managing attorney of McCown and Fisher, LPA.

“The importance of community service was impressed upon me at an early age by my family. My parents made certain I was always active in church and school, and my uncles got me involved in local organizations,” McCown said. “David McCown introduced me to politics and made sure I saw the effects, positive and negative, that government action can cause, and how to interact within that system to best help people. The late Judge Frank

McCown showed me that volunteering in civic groups could have an incredible impact on those in need, and I took those lessons seriously.”

Waldo carries 36 years of experience in private law practice, and has been an assistant prosecuting attorney for 28 years. He has also served on the Ironton City Council for 10 years, having been vice mayor on two different occasions in 2008 through 2009 and 2012 through 2013.

“I am seeking the position of Ironton Municipal judge because I want to provide all criminal/civil litigants with an equal right to fairness and justice. I want everyone who appears in Ironton Municipal Court to feel that they have been treated fairly and with respect,” Waldo said. “I acknowledge that Lawrence County and Ironton have a serious drug epidemic, and I will do whatever it takes to help develop and maintain an efficient drug court to help those with drug addiction, through rehabilitation, diversion and counseling.”

Lambert has served as assistant prosecutor in Lawrence County for eight years, was formerly the solicitor for the Village of Proctorville, magistrate of Lawrence County Municipal Court, and currently serves as the solicitor for the Village of South Point, is a member of the Lawrence County Board of Elections and president of both the Lawrence County Health Department and Agricultural Society, and said he believes his experience makes him qualified for the seat.

“I’ve practiced for 37 years and felt, with my experience, that I could be an asset to the community as judge. I would like to include a drug court and expand the community service program that already exists,” Lambert said. “I feel that, with my background, I could be a fair, impartial judge for everyone and be a good servant to the community.”

Lambert added that a large part of his practice has been defending local governments, which have taken him to cases all over southeastern Ohio and both federal courts in Columbus and Cincinnati.

“Out of my total 37 years of practicing, 29 years have been representing county and local governments,” Lambert said. “I feel like that’s an asset.”

McCown is currently a worship leader at First United Methodist Church, has served many positions for local community groups, and was recognized for his volunteer efforts in 2003 by the Ohio State Bar Foundation as the recipient of its Statewide Community Service Award, since becoming a Distinguished Life Fellow in that organization.

“Advising the St. Joe Mock Trial team for the past 20 years and teaching Business Law at Ohio University Southern for more than 10 years has given me a greater appreciation that merely being able to look up the law isn’t enough. You have to truly understand it, and be able to explain it so that people who aren’t as familiar with law get it. No matter how fairly people are treated, they won’t believe it unless they understand why their case is being handled the way it is,” McCown said. “While representing the lawyers of 11 counties on the Ohio State Bar Association Board of Governors, I was the vice-chairman of the Budget committee, which oversaw the administration of an over $11 million annual budget. Additionally, I have represented Sheriff Jeff Lawless, Treasurer Stephen Burcham, the Lawrence County Commission and the city of Ironton in labor negotiations and employee discipline matters. Add to that managing a law firm of seven employees, and I believe I have the background to be successful in administering the court.”

Some of the things McCown said he would like to see happen to the Ironton Municipal Court if he was judge include computerization for greater transparency, video arraignment to cut down on jail transportation costs and alternative solutions to sentencing, such as a drug court, mental health court or veterans programs.

“Most of the time felons don’t start out as felons. They start out as misdemeanor cases,” McCown said. “With treatments in lieu of conviction, we can address the underlying issues at an early stage before they become a bigger problem and clog up the court system.”

Waldo also believes that with his background in law, he can successfully take over the Ironton Municipal Court judge’s seat.

“I am looking forward to getting out in the community, talking to residents and hearing their ideas regarding the court and what we might do to improve it. I fully intend to use the Ironton Municipal Court Community Service Program’s manpower to assist any and all churches and other community organizations with grass-cutting, maintenance and other repairs,” Waldo said. “Under my leadership, the Ironton Municipal Court will be a court that all citizens in the jurisdiction of the court can be proud of. It will be operated on the age-old principles of honesty, integrity and trust with equal rights for all.”

There is no primary in the race, which will be decided in November.

McCown is married to Anke Duerr McCown, and has three children, Annika, Marlena and Finn.

Waldo is married to the former Alyce Wooten, and has three daughters, Taylor Purnell and Jenna and Haley Waldo, three grandchildren and two stepsons, Bryson and Dru.