Kemerer, Mayer facing off for Mansfield Municipal Court judge

Mansfield Municipal Court's benches will have new people filling them next year.

In a race for one of the two openings, Mike Kemerer and Cassandra Mayer are running to replace Judge Jerry Ault, who is leaving because of age limits.

Kemerer, 42, has been at the Mansfield law director's office for 17 years, spending almost all that time as first assistant law director.

Mayer, 54, has been a practicing attorney for 24 years.

Both have wanted to work in the court system almost their entire lives.

"Probably about a year and a half ago, I came across a drawing that I made when I was in sixth grade," Mayer said.

It was an assignment asking the students what they wanted to be when they grew up.

"I drew a courtroom with a lawyer in front of a jury," Mayer said. "It's been something I've wanted for the majority of my life."

"I grew up on the Indiana line, 40 miles south of Michigan," Kemerer said.

Kemerer was affected by homicide in hometown

When he was 14, a homicide occurred in his town of 3,500 people.

"I decided I wanted to be in the courts and the law and help people that way," Kemerer said. "From that point on, I did everything I could to achieve that goal."

Mayer is part of one of Richland County's most prominent families. Her grandfather, James J. Mayer, was a judge, and her father, Phil Mayer, was the longtime probate judge.

"When I'm elected, I'll be a third generation judge, behind Grandpa and Dad," Mayer said. "For generations, our family has had a deep-seated public service and has been involved in the community."

Kemerer, the first member of his family to go to college, did his undergraduate work at Bowling Green State University. He worked as a butcher for two years to help pay for his schooling.

During his second year of law school at the University of Toledo, Kemerer had the opportunity to be in municipal court.

"That made all the difference. It wasn't what I foresaw for myself, but that's the high-volume court," he said. "All those people you interact with, all those people you have a chance to do the right thing for, I fell in love with it."

Mayer earned her bachelor's degree from the Ohio State University and also attended Toledo's law school.

"I came back to practice with Dad," she said. "I started to recognize what attorneys can do to assist people in their everyday life, and that is something I strive for."

Mayer helped start Mental Health Court

Mayer said she had the opportunity early in her career to become involved in Mansfield Municipal Court.

"When Judge Ault was elected, I had just started as an attorney," she said. "He welcomed me to assist him in starting Mental Health Court.

"I was with him from the ground level and became the defense attorney for Mental Health Court, ensuring people's rights were protected."

Kemerer said he initially planned to become a prosecutor and had a standing offer to work in Toledo when a job opened up, but he learned of an opening in the local municipal court and applied while waiting.

Then-Law Director Dave Remy offered Kemerer a job at the age of 26.

"It was a job I happily took," he said. "I came for a job. I thought I would learn some things in Mansfield and when Toledo calls, I would go back there.

"That was the plan, but that's not what happened."

After 10 months, the first assistant prosecutor left for another position. Kemerer applied and got the job. That same month, he met his future wife, Carrie Rietschlin.

He turned down offers from Toledo and Paulding County to stay here.

"I came for a job," Kemerer said. "What I ultimately found was my home."

Mayer noted her experience, saying she has handled more than 150 jury trials, including some civil, in her career.

"We really need to ensure that the judges who get in there can hit the ground running, that there's not a learning curve," she said. "I have felony experience, which is important for this job because what people don't realize is that a lot of felonies start in municipal court."

Mayer said running her own practice gives her administrative experience, adding she is familiar with budgeting, as well as hiring and supervising employees.

Kemerer says he is familiar with court employees

Kemerer said he has worked with all 29 employees in municipal court and knows their strengths and where they can do the most good.

He said he came closest to leaving Mansfield in 2017 when he was offered a position at the Crawford County Prosecutor's Office.

"Boy, it was stressful, but we found our path," Kemerer said of him and his wife. "We decided I can do the most good here. We knew there'd be two municipal job openings. That is something that's been on my mind."

He says his time at the law director's office makes him the ideal candidate.

"There are people who have practiced longer, but they haven't practiced full-time in this courtroom," Kemerer said.

He also points to his 14 years of teaching at North Central State College. In addition, Kemerer is the solicitor for the village of Bellville.

He also is a board member at Mansfield Memorial Homes, a member of the Rotary Club of Mansfield and a school board member at Sacred Heart Catholic School.

Mayer wants to add to specialty dockets

Mayer said she has "handled everything that is required in municipal court." She wants to expand the number of specialty dockets to five by adding an elder court.

"That goes hand-in-hand with mental health court, but I think it needs to be a separate court with the same goals," Mayer said.

She also would like to add a night court or weekend court that would convene several times a month to accommodate people who work during the day, especially those with nonviolent offenses.

Both candidates have received endorsements. Kemerer's include state Sen. Mark Romanchuk; state Rep. Marilyn John; Sheriff Steve Sheldon; Prosecutor Jodie Schumacher; county Commissioners Darrell Banks, Cliff Mears and Tony Vero; and Mansfield City Council members Laura Burns, Aurelio Diaz and David Falquette.

In addition, Kemerer is being endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 32, Carpenter Local Union No. 735 and Laborers' Local 1216.

Mayer's endorsements include United Steelworkers Local 169, the Crawford-Richland Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO and AFSCME Local 3088.

"That's what's important to me, the people, not the politicians," she said.

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

X (formerly Twitter): @MarkCau32059251

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield Municipal Court race between Mayer and Kemerer