Jenifer A. French

Jenifer A. French

Nonpartisan

Ohio Public Utilities Commission

Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

4

Predecessor

Sam Randazzo

Prior offices

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

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Report an officeholder change

Compensation

Base salary

$155,002

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Appointed

March 19, 2021

Education

Bachelor's

The Ohio State University, 1996

Law

Thomas Jefferson School of Law, 2001

Personal

Birthplace

Columbus, Ohio

Religion

Catholic

Contact

Campaign website

Jenifer A. French is a member of the Ohio Public Utilities Commission. She assumed office on March 29, 2021. Her current term ends on April 10, 2029.

French (Nonpartisan, Republican Party) ran for re-election for judge of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division in Ohio. French lost in the general election on November 3, 2020. She advanced from the Republican primary on April 28, 2020.

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

French was a judge of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division in Ohio. She assumed office in 2015. She left office on February 8, 2021.

Biography

Education

French received her undergraduate degree from the Ohio State University in 1996 and her J.D. degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, in San Diego, California, in 2001.

Career

French practiced law with the firm of Lane, Alton & Horst, LLC in Columbus, Ohio, before joining the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division.

Elections

2020

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

General election

General election for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Andy Miller defeated incumbent Jenifer A. French in the general election for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andy Miller (Nonpartisan)	50.9	264,627
		Jenifer A. French (Nonpartisan)	49.1	255,456

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 520,083
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Andy Miller advanced from the Democratic primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Andy Miller	100.0	88,143

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 88,143
= 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 Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Incumbent Jenifer A. French advanced from the Republican primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jenifer A. French	100.0	28,311

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 28,311
= 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.

2014

See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2014
French ran for election to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.
General: She defeated Thomas F. Hayes in the general election on November 4, 2014, receiving 56.1 percent of the vote.  

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have been a judge on the Common Pleas Court in Franklin County for almost 6 years. I was born and raised in Franklin County and now my husband and I are raising our three children here as well. Prior to becoming a judge I was a practicing trial attorney for fourteen years. I was also a member of the Westerville City Council where I served as Vice Mayor of Westerville. I am very active in the community that I serve and make it a point to visit different areas of Franklin County in order to keep my thumb on the pulse of the individuals that I serve. It is an honor to serve the public in this capacity.

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?

• I received a "Highly Recommended" rating from the Columbus Bar Association Screening Committee.
• I am endorsed by the FOP Capital City Lodge #9, The IAFF, the AFL-CIO, the Teamsters, and the Central Ohio Building Trades
• I am always highly rated by lawyers that practice in front of me for my judicial temperament and docket management.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about treatment over incarceration for non-violent criminals. I am also passionate about educating and nurturing our youth so that they have more opportunities and do not end up in front of me. In my courtroom, I treat everyone with respect and maintain a very calm, compassionate and nurturing environment. I do my very best to determine why someone is in front of me and what the best resolution is to ensure that they do not come in front of me again. I often ask people what their issues are, ensuring them that I want to help. I find they are mostly honest when they aren't afraid of what you might do. I am honest with everyone that comes into my courtroom and I work very hard with the parties and attorneys to find resolutions that benefit everyone, including the community.

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

I look up to Ronald Reagan. I believe he was a very honest, forthcoming and intelligent man.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Elected officials need to understand that they are public servants. I believe you have to be trustworthy, accessible, patient, hardworking and you have to care about the community in which you serve.

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

I am trustworthy, hardworking, compassionate and I care very much about our community.

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

To care about the community that we serve and to be transparent and accountable to the public. I take great pride in running an efficient and effective docket. I have a great deal of support from both the civil and criminal bar because I am fair, accessible, humble and hard working.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like people to remember me as someone who made differences in people's lives. Someone who gave a hand up to those in need of one.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Space Shuttle blowing up. I was in 7th grade so I think I was 12.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was when I was 14 and I was hired at Super Duper as a cashier.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Anything written by James Patterson. I like the crime solving books.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Row row row your boat (I have a 3 year old niece)

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I tend to be a people pleaser, but as a judge it is sometimes difficult to please both sides so I have had to come to terms with that.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Judges have immense amounts of power. We are the most likely to directly impact a voters life out of any elected official. Unfortunately, there is a 40% drop off when people go down the ballot. The worst time to get to know who a judge is is when you or a family member are in front of them. Thankfully if you are reading this, you are taking the time to get to know the judges and candidates before you vote. I am very aware of the amount of power that a trial court judge has. We often determine whether

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

I believe everyone should have access to competent and trustworthy legal advice, regardless of income. I treat everyone fairly and with respect. I want people to be at ease in my courtroom as I find that you can accomplish more with a relaxed and trusting atmosphere. I treat people like people, not cases.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

Yes. I admire Judge Stephen McIntosh for his temperament and diplomacy.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Maybe the most important.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

Yes, both in 2014 and 2020 I was rated "Highly Recommended"

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I am running for re-election because in this seat you really do have the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives on almost a daily basis. It is incredibly rewarding. I feel a great deal of responsibility to protect this seat and to keep it because I understand how important qualities like compassion, empathy, common sense and problem solving skills are in this job and I possess all of these qualities. They are vital to the effective decision making that occurs at the trial court level.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do believe it has been beneficial for me to have had previous experience as a City Council member. It gave me a legislative perspective and some of the general issues we dealt with on Council actually have turned up on cases that I have presided over.

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

Our legal system in Ohio does not have a good way to deal with mental illness. If a Defendant is dangerous because they are mentally ill, there is not a place to send them, other than prison. Our treatment facilities are generally for pretrial diagnostic purposes and not for long term treatment of mentally ill people that have pled guilty or been found guilty.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

At this time I am very happy where I am. I really enjoy the trial court because I believe this is where I can make a positive impact and change lives.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

Absolutely.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

• Franklin County, Ohio
• Ohio Courts of Common Pleas
• Judicial selection in Ohio

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Campaign website
• Ohio Public Utilities Commission, "Jenifer French"

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Sam Randazzo	Ohio Public Utilities Commission 2021-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division 2015-2021	Succeeded by -

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