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Matthew Rambo (Geauga County Court of Common Pleas General Division, Ohio, candidate 2024)
From Ballotpedia
Matthew Rambo (Nonpartisan, Republican Party) ran for election to the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas General Division in Ohio. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.[source] He was on the ballot in the Republican primary on March 19, 2024.[source]
Rambo completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Matthew Rambo provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 19, 2024:
- Birth date: March 3, 1979
- Birth place: Columbus, Ohio
- High school: Maumee High School
- Bachelor's: The Ohio State University, 2002
- J.D.: The Ohio State University, 2005
- Gender: Male
- Religion: Christian: Protestant
- Profession: Attorney
- Prior offices held:
- Russell Township Trustee (2022-Prsnt)
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign slogan: Strong and Fair Justice for Geauga County
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook
Elections
General election
General election for Geauga County Court of Common Pleas General Division
Matthew Rambo and Mary Jane Trapp ran in the general election for Geauga County Court of Common Pleas General Division on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
 | Matthew Rambo (Nonpartisan)  | |
| Mary Jane Trapp (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Geauga County Court of Common Pleas General Division
Mary Jane Trapp ran in the Democratic primary for Geauga County Court of Common Pleas General Division on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Mary Jane Trapp | ||
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Geauga County Court of Common Pleas General Division
Matthew Rambo ran in the Republican primary for Geauga County Court of Common Pleas General Division on March 19, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Matthew Rambo | |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Election results
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Rambo in this election.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Matthew Rambo completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rambo's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am a graduate of the Ohio State University holding a degree in Electrical Engineering and a law degree. Out of law school, I worked as a Magistrate at the Court of Claims of Ohio from 2016 through 2013. I then served as a Staff Attorney in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas until 2018 when I entered private practice. I currently practice law as a partner in my own firm in Chesterland.
I am seeking to be a judge out of a strong desire to serve the community that I love and in which I have chosen to raise my family, and to do my part to ensure that it remains such as my children grow. My experience as a Magistrate, working in the Court of Common Pleas, and practicing as a private attorney will allow me to smoothly transition to the Common Pleas bench. I view the opportunity to serve as a Judge on the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas as the pinnacle of my legal career, one that will provide me the opportunity to serve the legal community and Geauga County as a whole through the strong, fair, and efficient administration of justice.
- I am a firm believer in the core values of judicial restraint, including a commitment to justice, fairness, and the rule of law. With a legal career spanning 18 years, I have consistently demonstrated my dedication to these principles and have worked tirelessly to contribute to the betterment of Geauga County. I am committed to upholding the Constitution and working diligently to protect the rights of individuals in our community. I am confident that my extensive legal background, along with my passion for public service, uniquely qualifies me for the role of Geauga County Common Pleas Judge.
- The greatest issue the judiciary faces is one of access and accessibility. The public rarely knowns who the judges are in their county unless they have had occasion to appear in Court. Thus, the court is a place of great mystery to most people. This creates a misunderstanding of what the Court does and why the Court operates in the way that it does. Additionally, because of the mystery surrounding the Court, people are often hesitant to engage the Court and make use of Court resources.
- The Common Pleas Judge must work collaboratively with other Geauga County leaders to ensure tax dollars are spent wisely. In my role as Russell Township Trustee, I have had the privilege of safeguarding the tax dollars of the residents of Russell Township and making sure they are being put to the best and highest use for the people of the Township. This experience has equipped me with the knowledge and skills necessary to serve as an effective and impartial Common Pleas Judge, ensuring that justice is served in a fair and timely manner. Moreover, my work with the Red Tulip Project of Geauga and the Burton Middlefield Rotary have provided me unique insight into portions of the Geauga community that not everyone sees on a regular basis.
One of the mottos of Rotary International is "service above self." I choose to enter public service as a way to give back to the community in which I live and raise my family. Providing service, access, and safety to every Geauga County resident should be the top priority of every elected official.
Judges must be patient, even tempered, and open but fair minded always. Importantly, a judge must be seen to possess these qualities when interacting with the public to ensure trust in the judiciary. All sides in a dispute must be given equal opportunity to express their arguments and positions. I have a calm but attentive demeanor that will serve me well on the bench.
I would simply like to be remembered as someone who raised his children right, took care of his family, and performed his job ably and competently.
I remember two things vividly from my childhood: 1) I remember watching Ronald Regan give his second inauguration speech when I was just shy of six; and, 2) I remember watching the Challenger explode almost exactly one year later.
I started my first paper route when I was eight and had it until I graduated high school at eighteen.
Dune by Frank Herbert. I find the characters and the otherworldly nature of Frank Herbert's masterpiece utterly fascinating.
I would describe my judicial philosophy as one of restrained independence. Judges must be free from political and other outside pressure in making their decisions. However, every judge comes to the bench with their own worldly experience that influences their rulings. Judges should be restrained to interpreting the law as written, informed by the principals of judicial restraint and respect for the separation of powers of government. Judges should not make law. Too often courts are results-oriented and use flawed reasoning or interpretations in order to make a law fit into the result that it thinks are fair or just. That is not a judge’s duty. Rather, a judge’s duty is to act upon the law as written, not as they think it should be. Judges are required to be objective in interpreting laws as written by the legislature, regardless of outcome. While judges can and often do provide an important check on power by striking down laws that unconstitutionally violate an individual’s rights, constitutionally valid laws should be applied as written.
I admire Judge Richard J. McMonagle (Ret.) of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. I worked as his Staff Attorney for a number of years and learned a great deal from him about the role a Judge plays in the legal system and the manner in which a Judge should conduct themself while fulfilling that role.
Absoultely. Judges at the trial court level must always remember that it is likely that someone in your courtroom is having the worst day of their life, for whatever reason. That thought should be kept in mind when dealing with people and conducting proceedings. The courtroom should be a rather solemn place and should be treated with respect, but a Judge also needs to understand where the various players in the proceedings are coming from personally in order to understand their position on matters.
I have spent my entire eighteen year legal career working and practicing primarily in trial courts. I see running for this seat as a way to put that experience to in practice for the benefit of the people of Geauga County.
It is beneficial for a Judge to have previous government or political experience so that they know the structure and players of the government that they will have to operate within.
My primary concern with the legal system is one of access. People need to feel as if the judicial system will work for them when they need it. I believe that many in Ohio have a misplaced distrust of the legal system.
Not at this time. My only goal at this point it so serve as a Common Pleas Judge.
Geauga County Republican Party; Buckeye Firearms Association
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
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
