Ohio 5th District Court of Appeals election: Earle Wise Jr. vs. Andrew King

In the race for a judicial seat on Ohio's 5th District Court of Appeals, Republican Andrew King of Granville is challenging incumbent Judge Earle E. Wise Jr., a Democrat from North Canton.

Stark County is a part of the 5th District, which also includes 14 other counties: Ashland, Coshocton, Delaware, Fairfield, Guernsey, Holmes, Knox, Licking, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Perry, Richland and Tuscarawas.

In addition to Wise, the five other 5th District judges are William B. Hoffman (D), John W. Wise (R), Patricia A. Delaney (D), Craig Baldwin (R) and W. Scott Gwin (D).

Earle Wise Jr. became appeals judge in 2017

Wise, who was unanimously selected as the court's presiding judge in January, was elected to the appeals bench in November 2016, taking office in February 2017.

He previously served as an assistant Stark County prosecutor from 1997 to 2005, North Canton's administrator from 2005 to 2010, an assistant Carroll County public defender and in private practice.

"I've had a lot of law-related jobs and some non-law-related jobs; this is the best job I've ever had," he said.

A native of Marlington, Wise is a graduate of the College of Wooster and the University of Akron School of Law. While in law school, he served as deputy director of the Stark County Board of Elections.

An Ohio Army National Guard veteran, he and his wife have two daughters.

Wise said before becoming a judge, he had the previous benefit of arguing cases before the 5th District Court of Appeals and witnessing proceedings co-presided by his late father, Earle Wise Sr., who sat on the court in the 1980s.

Noting that his fellow panelists have also served as mentors, Wise said that even when the judges have strong disagreements over a case, all discussions are conducted with mutual respect.

"When I walked in, there were five, very experienced judges," he said. "Each one of them looks at cases based on the facts and the law and comes to an opinion based on that law. There have never been any political discussions about a case. It's a collegial atmosphere. Politics don't enter into it. The system works the way it's supposed to."

Wise said that when it comes to concerns about transparency and public trust, "the people of the 5th District are very fortunate with the panel they have."

During his tenure, Wise has sat on 1,200 cases and written 450 opinions. He's also served on the Ohio Supreme Court as a visiting judge.

"I've worked really hard," he said. "I've added to the court. While I don't know if any (opinions) have gone to the Supreme Court and changed cases, I think I've brought views to provide direction to future cases."

Andrew King has criminal and civil law experience

King, chief legal counsel for the Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District, said he's motivated to serve because public service has been an integral part of his life.

"Both of my parents were deputy sheriffs; I grew up thinking I might be a cop," he said. "My mother was a den mother, and both of my parents were involved in the church, so I grew up with a belief in service to the community."

More about Andrew KingRepublicans eye 5th District Court of Appeals

King is a graduate of Ohio State University and Capital University Law School in Columbus. While in law school, he served as an extern, clerking for Ohio Supreme Court Justice Terrence O'Donnell and U.S. Southern District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley.

He also served as a judicial law clerk for 4th District Court of Appeals Judge Roger L. Kline.

"Having worked in an appellate judge's chambers, I'm familiar with the job, and I just enjoyed, it," King said. "It was something I'm good at."

King also has worked as a staff attorney for Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, as an assistant public defender in the Ohio Public Defender's office and as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Delaware County Prosecutor's Office for five years.

In 2020, King was appointed administrator of Orange Township but was fired a year later. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the firing centered on a dispute with a township trustee over management styles.

King, who previously ran for judge in 2018, said his wide-ranging experience in handling federal, state and local government affairs and court matters has helped prepare him for the bench.

"I've done criminal prosecutions and criminal defense," he said. "One of those criminal prosecutions included a rape case and a death penalty (specification). I've done several civil litigations, and I've also done work for injured folks, people injured in industrial accidents."

He believes courts can assuage concerns about trust through fairness and courtesy.

"At the appellate level you're mostly dealing with the attorneys, but occasionally you do get clients and people in the gallery," he said. "So, being respectful and courteous, I think, is important. People want to feel like they've been heard and treated fairly. I think another important piece of it is getting stuff done in a timely matter. There's a saying that 'justice delayed is justice denied,' so it's also making sure cases get out properly."

King, who has a wife and two adult children, said the best advice he's received from a judge was, "Every person matters, every case matters."

"It can be easy to not view every case as a person," he said. "They are real people and you have to treat them that way."

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com.

On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Earle Wise Jr., Andrew King seek 5th District Court of Appeals seat