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Richard Palau
Richard Henry Palau was a 2016 candidate for the Ohio Third District Court of Appeals.[1] He was defeated in the March 15 Republican primary by William Zimmerman.
Education
- B.A. in economics and history, University of Virginia (1984)
- J.D., Capital University Law School (1987)[2]
Career
Palau served as a prosecutor in the Tiffin Municipal Court for 13 years. In that capacity, he represented various villages as their solicitor. Prior to that, he worked in the private sector for several years, including seven years in his own practice.
Elections
2016
- See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2016
Incumbent Judge Richard M. Rogers is retiring from his seat on the Ohio Third District Court of Appeals at the end of his term.[3] Palau ran for the open seat against two other Republican candidates in a primary election on March 15 and was defeated.
March 15 primary
| Ohio Third District Court of Appeals, Judge Rogers' Seat Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  William Zimmerman |
66.39% | 86,024 | |
| Republican | Amy Ikerd | 24.53% | 31,786 | |
| Republican | Richard Palau | 9.08% | 11,768 | |
| Total Votes | 129,578 | |||
| Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
Approach to the law
In a statement to Ballotpedia, Palau characterized his judicial philosophy as follows:
| “ | I love the Constitution. It should be interpreted in light of our Declaration of Independence as Abraham Lincoln stated in the Gettysburg Address. Each Amendment is precious. More needs to be done to protect our Constitutional rights which are under attack. Common Sense is not common anymore. I wish to be an Apostle of Common Sense. My career has been one of tough love. This is the love that protects our family and Constitution.
The law is a fence around the playground of our freedoms where we can dance, play, sing, drink and frolic. Outside this fence we have no freedoms but are victims to those who would assault our persons and steel our property. This is why the fourth stanza of the song America the Beautiful ends with the phrase, 'Thy liberty in law.' My career has been spent protecting those inside the fence from those who would assault them and those who would steel their property. I maintain a strong fence. This is the duty and joy of being a prosecutor. 'Values' has become a nonsense word. Virtue needs to be our focus. The four cardinal virtues are Wisdom, Strength, Justice, and Temperance. Notice that Justice is a virtue. That is why the Appellate Court is so important. Virtue is a good habit. Vice is a bad habit. This is why I chose to become a Prosecutor over more lucrative areas of practice. This is why I chose to serve the poor with the Legal Aid Society of Columbus in Marion for a year. Service is a love affair with patriotism and my Christian Faith.[4] |
” |
Campaign themes
In a statement to Ballotpedia, Palau added the following:
| “ | I do not believe in the careerism of Judges who quit currently elected posts early, at taxpayer expense, for their own advancement. Judicial elections' costs are multiplied to cover primaries and general elections of new Judges to fill the post of those who quit before their term is finished. This disregard of tax payer funds for the purpose of career advancement is the hidden cost of Judicial politics. I am firmly opposed to this practice and I am happy to say that I have not, do not, and will not engage in this conduct. I believe there is virtue in being a prosecutor and protecting the public from those who engage in vice.
I practice in both civil and criminal law. An Appellate Judge must be well versed in all areas to provide the knowledge and balance necessary. Without this balance the boat will capsize. The keel to this boat is my service as a Prosecutor where trial work is an everyday affair. If you do not love our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Wisdom, Strength, Temperance, and Justice, do not vote for me. If you do not want to maintain the fence of the rule of law that protects our freedom to dance, play, sing, drink and frolic, do not vote for me. If you do not want common sense, fiscal responsibility and service to Country and Family, do not vote for me.[4] |
” |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Richard Palau Ohio Court Appeals. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ [Ohio Secretary of State candidate list, received by email]
- ↑ Information submitted through Ballotpedia's biographical submission form on January 30, 2016
- ↑ Denise Grant, The Courier, "Ballot set for March primary election," December 17, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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
