Marion judge's election: Challenger Ryan running to give voters a choice of candidates
Ryan, an independent, is running against Judge Teresa L. Ballinger in the Nov. 7 general election. Ballinger, a Republican, is in her third term as judge of Marion Municipal Court. She has served as municipal court judge since 2004. Ballinger has run without an opponent in the last two municipal court election cycles, 2011 and 2017.
"I'm sure many people have gone into the election booth and there's one (candidate on the ballot for a particular office), which really isn't a choice," Ryan said. "You're being told who is going to hold that position. That concept does not set well with me. I believe that I'm qualified for this position and can successfully execute the duties."
According to her resume, Ryan's 24-year career in the legal profession includes 21 years working as a judge advocate in the United States Army Reserves. She holds the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Before joining the Marion County Common Pleas Court staff in 2021, Ryan served as an assistant prosecutor for the Marion County Prosecutor's Office from 2019 to 2021. She also worked as an assistant prosecutor for the Delaware County Prosecutor's Office (2000-2002) and the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office (2002-2010).
Ryan served as an enforcement attorney for the Ohio Division of Securities from 2010 to 2018. She worked in private practice as an associate attorney for the Law Office of Brian Jones LLC in 2018 and 2019.
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Ryan: 'Impose consequences with compassion'
Noting her diverse professional background as a strong point, Ryan said she believes her broad range of experiences in the legal profession have prepared her to be a judge and to handle the heavy workload that Marion Municipal Court sees on an annual basis.
"Marion Municipal Court is a very busy docket. I believe it's one of the busiest, if not the busiest single-judge dockets in the state," Ryan said. "My background and my ability to juggle many different responsibilities suits me for the busyness of that court. ... I will reduce crime and recidivism by imposing consequences on offenders with compassion. Any case that comes before me, I will judge impartially and fairly. That's what a judge is tasked to do."
Ryan said her philosophy in regard to the use of specialized dockets in Marion Municipal Court is to "impose consequences with compassion."
"If we can change their thinking and show compassion to them for what their underlying problem is then we can hopefully correct that problem. However, sometimes to get to that point, there have to be stiff consequences up front," Ryan said. "And if they don't change their behavior, then there will continue to be the need for consequences because the job of the criminal justice system is to protect the community and punish the offender."
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Ryan explained her philosophy has been shaped by her own experience with a family member who was a drug addict who eventually "lost her battle to that addiction." She has further developed that philosophy in her role as chief probation officer in Marion County Common Pleas Court supervising the special dockets there.
"Seeing what she went through forced me to become more educated about addiction," Ryan said. "I spoke to many addicts who told me that a court forcing them to go to treatment or face jail is ultimately what led them to change. I come from a mindset where second chances are definitely possible, but the person has to want it. Sometimes they can be directed into wanting (to become sober)."
Ryan, who was formerly a member of the Republican Party, said she chose to disaffiliate from the GOP because the "Marion County Republican Party does not share my conservative values and beliefs." In a letter to party leadership, she cited several reasons why she believed that her "faith in the Marion County Republican Party was misplaced."
Email: ecarter@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Jennifer Ryan running to give voters a choice of judicial candidates
