Jessica Barwell

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Jessica Barwell

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

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Jessica Barwell (Nonpartisan, Republican Party) ran for election for judge of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division in Ohio. Barwell lost in the general election on November 8, 2022. She advanced from the Republican primary on May 3, 2022.

Barwell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Elections

2022

See also: Municipal elections in Franklin County, Ohio (2022)

General election

General election for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Incumbent Julie M. Lynch defeated Jessica Barwell in the general election for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Julie M. Lynch (Nonpartisan)	57.3	182,042
		Jessica Barwell (Nonpartisan)	42.7	135,626

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 317,668
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Incumbent Julie M. Lynch defeated Michael Boyle in the Democratic primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Julie M. Lynch	52.5	35,498
	Submit photo	Michael Boyle	47.5	32,181

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 67,679
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Jessica Barwell advanced from the Republican primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jessica Barwell	100.0	53,986

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 53,986
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

General election

General election for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division

Incumbent James W. Brown defeated Jessica Barwell in the general election for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James W. Brown (D)	60.3	224,691
		Jessica Barwell (R)	39.7	147,875

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 372,566
= 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 Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division

Incumbent James W. Brown advanced from the Democratic primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James W. Brown	100.0	67,395

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 67,395
= 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 Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division

Jessica Barwell advanced from the Republican primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jessica Barwell	100.0	36,197

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 36,197
= 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.

Selection method

See also: Nonpartisan election of judges

The 391 judges of the Ohio Courts of Common Pleas are all selected in an identical manner. Qualified individuals wishing to join the bench must participate in partisan primary elections followed by nonpartisan general elections.

The chief judges of the Ohio Courts of Common Pleas are chosen by peer vote and serve for one year.

Qualifications
To serve on an appellate or general jurisdiction court, a judge must be:

• a district or county resident (for court of appeals and common pleas judges);
• at least six years practiced in law; and
• under the age of 70.

Under the Ohio Constitution, a judge who reaches 70 years of age may be assigned by the chief justice to active duty, receiving payment on a per-day basis in addition to whatever retirement benefits he or she is entitled to.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jessica Barwell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Barwell'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 was raised in Dublin, Ohio and reside in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, Greg, and we have been blessed with two children, a daughter, Annabelle and a son, Alexander.

I have been a practicing attorney in Franklin County for 10+ years. Prior to earning my law license, I externed for the Ohio Supreme Court under Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton. I began my career in-house and now serve as general counsel to a multi-state hospitality company advising in corporate litigation and transactions matters, dispute resolution, and state and federal employment law. I have been in private practice since 2015 practicing in different types of litigation, commercial and civil cases, employment and real estate matters.

I have always been actively involved in the community and has held many leadership roles. I graduated from the Leadership Columbus program in 2015, a program designed to inform and motivate those ready to take on the challenges and opportunities faced in our community and within our companies and families. I have led company-wide campaigns for the United Way of Central Ohio and the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and is a strong supporter of the Ronald McDonald House.

I am a current board member of the Columbus Rotary Club and former board member of the Huckleberry House.

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 our next Common Pleas Court Judge, I pledge to provide a courtroom that ensures integrity, fairness, and equal justice to all citizens who appear before me in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Court. I have the legal experience and judicial temperament needed to achieve these goals on the bench.
• Every human deserves to be heard to ensure the courts are helping the community while balancing justice with love and compassion. Judges can fuel mass incarceration or give people opportunities to become their best selves. I will use my tools of community sanctions to reverse the cycle of recidivism and bring healing to victims while holding the wrongdoers accountable.
• 75% of my docket will be civil. My civil background has prepared me for the often-complex business and commercial cases that I will hear as well as cases involving negligence, accidents, malpractice etc., which plays to my strengths and my background. Most people hope they never end up in court on a civil matter, but if they do, I have the background and experience to understand the issues.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I believe in the epitome of Justice, and there is no better mascot for that than Lady Justice, who wears a blindfold. The blindfold represents objectivity, in that justice is or should be meted out objectively, without fear or favor, regardless of money, wealth, power, or identity, blind justice and impartiality. That’s why – if elected – I believe in “Blindfold Justice” for everyone that will enter my courtroom. I believe that all persons accused of a crime in my courtroom will receive fair justice regardless of who is representing them, their socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and most importantly, their race.

There is an extreme distrust of the criminal justice system in Franklin County because too many judges fail to use blindfolded justice. I am committed to instilling confidence back into the community’s perception of Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

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

My civil background has prepared me for the often-complex business and commercial cases that I will hear. In my corporate capacity, I provide oversight of legal issues involving company operations and advise business owners and senior executives to ensure legal compliance and mitigation of risk across their business. I have attained experience in the array of contracts and dispute resolution matters that a general counsel to a large and diverse company can be expected to encounter and have gained a high level of expertise in state and federal employment law. My employment law experience is in my opinion material for a position on the Franklin County Common Pleas bench. That is because my role, and the experience I have gained, is more than pure “lawyering.” Throughout my career I have served as the company’s point person in direct interaction with employee matters, including mediating employment disputes, engaging directly in employee disciplinary matters, and in promoting a work atmosphere of fairness, respect and harmony. I will bring a proper judicial temperament and a quick learning ability to he bench and I will apply the laws and sentencing guidelines with consistency.

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

I have always thought that the most important case for a judge to decide is the very first time a person appears in front of the judge. The decision of that judge at that time is going to determine whether or not that person is likely to reoffend or likely to get on a path of being a productive member of our community. So, I think the judge can do things at the early stages when a person is in the system for the very first time. It becomes more challenging if recidivism occurs— that’s where the sentencing guidelines will provide or increase sentencing overtime.

The most important thing that judges do and if you pay attention to what the Supreme Court justices do, is they participate in the education process. Judges cannot take policy making positions. They cannot take positions on what the law should or should not be. That is for the legislative and executive branches. But what we can do and should do is actively participate in the education of the community, our schools, our high schools and colleges, and how the legal system works and why its important. That is the best way to advance the legal system.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

Going back to the framework of our constitution, the judiciary are not policy makers, and they are not law makers. The job of a judge is to follow the law and apply the law based upon the facts.

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

I knew since I was young that I wanted to be an attorney, but it was during my last semester of law school, when I took a judicial externship with Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton in the Ohio Supreme Court when my judicial aspirations first arose. It was watching her in how she made decisions and handled litigants that appeared before her, and her compassion and understanding for matters pertaining to veterans, persons with mental health, and juveniles.

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

Yes. Judges must have an open mind, treat people with compassion, courtesy and respect, exercise patience in challenging moments, maintain freedom from bias, and project a dignified demeanor holding the commitment to equal justice under the law

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I have always had the desire to be in public service and I believe that working in the judicial capacity is the highest form of public service that a lawyer can engage in.

What do you consider the greatest opportunity for the legal system in your state?

When a crime has been committed, there is a spiderweb of people who suffer, both directly and indirectly from the actions of the defendant. Not only does the victim and their family suffer consequences, but when a defendant is sentenced to prison for their actions, oftentimes they leave behind their own families, including young children. When someone goes to prison two families are impacted: the victim and now, the defendant’s, who have to suffer the consequences of their loved one’s actions, and that is not fair – to anyone. If elected, I will ensure resources are available for all who are impacted by the defendant’s actions; making sure that everyone involved on both sides of the case can properly heal and succeed from the actions of someone else.

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.

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Candidate

Franklin 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