Alison Hatheway

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Alison Hatheway

Democratic Party

Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

4

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Muskingum University, 1998

Law

Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, 2006

Personal

Birthplace

Columbus, Ohio

Religion

Christian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Alison Hatheway (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division in Ohio. She assumed office on February 13, 2021. Her current term ends on February 12, 2027.

Hatheway (Nonpartisan, Democratic Party) ran for election for judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division in Ohio. Hatheway won in the general election on November 3, 2020. She advanced from the Democratic primary on April 28, 2020.

Hatheway completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Alison Hatheway was born in Columbus, Ohio. She earned a bachelor's degree from Muskingum University in 1998 and a J.D. from the Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University in 2006. She began working as the director of the law office of the Hamilton County Public Defender, Juvenile Division in 2018. Hatheway previously worked as the team leader for the law office of the Hamilton County Public Defender, Juvenile Division from 2012 to 2018, as a staff attorney for the law office of the Hamilton County Public Defender, Municipal Division from 2010 to 2012, and as a staff attorney for the law office of the Hamilton County Public Defender, Juvenile Division from 2007 to 2010. Before attending law school, Hatheway worked as a radio news reporter and anchor. She has been affiliated with the Cincinnati Chapter of the NAACP, the Cincinnati Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the National Association for Public Defense, the Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati, the Black Public Defender Association, and the Silverton Democratic Club.

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Hamilton County, Ohio (2020)

General election

General election for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Alison Hatheway defeated incumbent Charles J. Kubicki in the general election for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alison Hatheway (Nonpartisan)	58.7	213,554
	Submit photo	Charles J. Kubicki (Nonpartisan)	41.3	150,233

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 363,787
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Alison Hatheway advanced from the Democratic primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alison Hatheway	100.0	54,018

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 54,018
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Incumbent Charles J. Kubicki advanced from the Republican primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Charles J. Kubicki	100.0	32,398

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,398
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Alison Hatheway completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hatheway's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have lived and worked in Cincinnati for the last nineteen years. Currently, I live in Silverton with my husband and three children-ages 15, 12 and 9. All of my children attend Cincinnati Public Schools. I am the eldest and only daughter of two retired public school teachers. I was privileged to have two parents who taught me the value of hard work and more importantly how to work in the service of others. For over 13 years, I have been a defender of rights and a defender of people, working as a Public Defender in Hamilton County. I am very familiar with the law, the courts, and most importantly, serving the public. Currently, I serve as the Director of the Juvenile Delinquency Division of the Office. In this position, I lead a team of attorneys, social workers and administrative staff. I have also practiced in both Municipal and Common Pleas Court. As a long-time public defender, I have worked to help hundreds of people navigate the criminal legal system. I have given a voice to people who would otherwise not have one. I get to know my clients, their families, and their experiences.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• As judge, I will work to reduce disparities within the criminal legal and prison systems. Even though blacks make up roughly 13% of the U.S. population, they represent about 40% of the prison population. According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, blacks have a greater chance than whites of being arrested, convicted and sent prison for the same behavior. And when blacks are sent to prison, they typically receive sentences that are about 20% longer than their white counterparts. Reform of our criminal legal system is essential to eliminating racial injustice.
• As judge, I will work to reform of the cash bail system. The purpose of bail is to ensure that an individual returns to court and that the community is protected. Research shows that the ability to pay a monetary bond has no bearing on either of those things. What monetary bond does do is cause people who have very little to begin with, to lose what they have, such as their jobs, their homes, or even their families, just because they are poor. Reform of our cash bail system is essential to eliminating economic injustice.
• As judge, I will work with other judges, court personnel, prosecutors, defense attorneys and law enforcement to promote and utilize alternatives to incarceration and developing programs focused on restorative justice. Utilization of these types of programs will help to reduce the problem of mass incarceration in our prison system.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about equal justice for all people. I have worked in the "trenches" of the criminal legal system for over 13 years. While I have had the privilege to defend the rights of hundreds of people over my career, there is a critical need for systemic change. We need change to ensure that justice and fairness for all people is in the foundation of our courts. While I have served many people well as a dedicated Public Defender, I believe that as a judge, I can do more to implement systemic change and that is why I am running. While I will follow the law and weigh evidence fairly and justly, I also want to work with other judges to create and utilize programs in our justice system that focus on reducing disparities and protecting vulnerable populations. I want to work to reform our cash bail system and develop programs that focus on rehabilitation, restorative justice, and fairer enforcement of the law. I believe that such programs will ensure that every person has equal access to justice and that the justice system works fairly and equally for everyone.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

A person whose example I would like to follow is that of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. First of all, she was a woman "blazing trails" in a man's world. She worked hard for everything she achieved and she never forgot where she came from. Second, she was a defender of justice and human rights before she ever took the bench as a judge. She spent years in the service of others. As a long-time public defender I can identify with someone who stands up and gives a voice to those who would not otherwise have one. Also, she was not afraid to disagree. She was known as the great "dissenter" for her ability to stand up against the majority to argue for what she believed was the right thing, even if it was unpopular. And finally, she always had a grace and class about her, but in a way that was relatable to everyday people.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I believe that my background and experience serving the residents of Hamilton County in the criminal legal system make me a great fit for Common Pleas Judge. As a long-time public defender, I have worked tirelessly to assist hundreds of people navigate the criminal justice system. Now, as a leader in the Public Defender's Office I have been a champion of systemic change. I've worked to end the practice of shackling of children in court rooms, I've worked to protect the rights of victims of human trafficking, I worked to bring social workers to the Public Defender's Office, and I am now working to develop a community-involved defense model for youth in Hamilton County, the first of its kind in the state. I am, and have always been, passionate about justice and fairness for everyone. Over the last 13 years, I have seen firsthand the injustice and inequality in our court system. Unfortunately, a disproportionate number of the people who are entrenched in our criminal legal system are black and brown people. We need judges who look like the people who come before them. We need judges who are just and fair and that are committed to criminal justice reform to make our system fair and equitable for all.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Judges perform a variety of tasks inside and outside the courtroom. In the courtroom, they preside over criminal and civil cases, which involve listening to witness testimony, ruling on the admissibility of evidence and motions presented to the court, informing defendants of their rights, instructing juries, deciding guilt or innocence and determining liability or damages. However, Judges don't do all of their work in the courtroom. They perform certain duties outside the courtroom as well, including researching the law, writing opinions, and establishing court rules and procedures.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson. This is a powerful and true story about redemption as well as a call to reform our criminal legal system. Mr. Stevenson is also one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

I am, and have always been, passionate about inclusion, justice and fairness for everyone. I believe judges should be thorough, fair and just in every decision. Judges should treat all people with respect and dignity and demand that everyone appearing in her Courtroom treat each other with dignity and respect. Judges should be transparent, and hold themselves accountable for uncovering any biases that they might have, and working to eliminate and overcome those biases. I also believe that judges should make fixing systemic problems in our criminal legal system a top priority, such as eliminating racial disparities.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I am running for judge with the hope of bringing fairness and justice reform to our criminal legal system. I have extensive experience as a trial attorney, and currently, I am director of the Juvenile Division of the Hamilton County Public Defender's Office. Over the course of my career, I have helped hundreds of people navigate the criminal legal system, and I have seen firsthand the injustices that people face every day in our courts. I have seen racial, economic and social injustice. While I have worked very hard for my individual clients and as a leader in the public defender's office to fight against injustice, I have learned that judges are really the ones who decide how the Court system operates. Right now we don't have judges on the bench that are working toward reform, even though they are aware that problems and disparities exist. Experience doesn't matter when you keep doing the same things that do not work. We are long overdue for systemic reform and that is why I running for judge.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

Right now, we have system that is punitive, expensive, and ineffective. We need to stop throwing people away. It's time we bring justice reform to our criminal legal system. And it's time we bring "Smart Justice" to Hamilton County. "Smart Justice" means, that when appropriate, we find alternatives to incarceration and we utilize programs that promote accountability but also protect against disparities. "Smart Justice" means that we develop programs that focus on restorative justice. Restorative justice emphasizes repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior and encourages all of those affected by crime to participate in the process in a meaningful and restorative way. "Smart Justice" means reform of our cash bail system. The purpose of bail is to ensure that an individual returns to court and that the community is protected. Research shows that the ability to pay a monetary bond has no bearing on either of those things. Generally, what cash bail does is cause people who have very little to begin with, lose what they have-such as their jobs, their homes, or even their families. "Smart Justice" means that we attempt to treat instead of incarcerate people with drug addiction and mental health issues and ensure that everyone who needs these services has equal access to them.

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Candidate

Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

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Footnotes

Ohio courts

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Federal courts:

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio

State courts:

Ohio Supreme Court • Ohio District Courts of Appeal • Ohio Courts of Common Pleas • Ohio County Courts • Ohio Municipal Courts • Ohio Court of Claims

State resources:

Courts in Ohio • Ohio judicial elections • Judicial selection in Ohio