Kemerer, Mayer seek seat on Mansfield Municipal Court bench

MANSFIELD — Either Michael Kemerer or Cassandra Mayer will be the first new Mansfield Municipal Court judge in more than a decade.

Both of the seats on the local bench are open on the Nov. 7 ballot for candidates seeking new six-year terms.

Judge Jerry Ault, first elected in 1999, is prohibited by the Ohio Constitution from seeking another term since he is past age 70. Former Judge Frank Ardis Jr., who was appointed to the bench in 2010, died in office in September at age 74.

The 42-year-old Kemerer was unopposed in the Republican Party primary in May. Mayer, 54, was unopposed in the Democratic Party race. One of the two will replace Ault and will be sworn into office for a term that begins Jan. 1.

The race to replace Ardis is between Republican David Badnell and Democrat Lore’ Whitney for a term that begins Jan. 2.

Despite the fact Kemerer and Mayer were nominated through the party process, the general election is considered non-partisan and their party affiliations will not be listed on the ballot.

A Mansfield Municipal Court judge earned $151,377 in 2023, a salary paid through state and local funds, according to the City of Mansfield finance director’s office.

(Below is the first evening of Richland Source Candidate Conversations. The live interview with candidates for Mansfield Municipal Clerk judge begins at the 1-hour, 22-minute mark. It was recorded on Oct. 25 at Idea Works in downtown Mansfield.)

Mansfield Municipal Court has jurisdiction over all of Richland County, with the exception of Shelby, Shiloh, Plymouth (Richland County), and six northern townships. The court handles traffic, misdemeanor criminal and smaller civil cases. 

It also handles initial phases of some felony criminal cases.

Here is a look at Kemerer and Mayer.

Michael Kemerer

Kemerer, who lives on Ohio 314 between Ontario and Shelby, has been an assistant law director for the City of Mansfield for the last 17 years, including 16 as the First Assistant Law Director.

Kemerer, who earned his law degree at the University of Toledo, said his position “has given me the honor to oversee and guide other attorneys and support staff.”

He said the volume of cases handled by the court is something that attracted him to seek the position.

“The Mansfield Municipal Court handles around 20,000 cases each year. That’s 20,000 chances to do the right thing; 20,000 chances to make a difference,” Kemerer said. “The court’s high volume demands proven experience and unwavering dedication to the community.”

“While many other attorneys handle the occasional case or cases in (Mansfield Municipal Court), they aren’t here full time. So I’ve worked on more cases and had more trials in Mansfield Municipal Court than any other attorney in that time,” he said.

Kemerer, who has also been an adjunct faculty member at North Central State College, said his work as solicitor for the Village of Bellville also makes him “uniquely aware of issues affecting the villages.”

If elected, Kemerer said he will focus on correcting inefficiencies in the court, addressing violence in the community and removing barriers that may help lead to offenders repeating their crimes.

His plan more efficiency largely revolves his stated willingness to lead by example.

“For the last 17 years in the Law Director’s Office, I’ve been the first person in the door, the last to leave and the work ethic I grew up with on the farm has never left me,” Kemerer said.

“I’ve dedicated myself to seeking justice while remaining committed to fairness. That won’t change if I am elected, so I’m the ideal person to lead the court by example.”

In terms of combating violence, Kemerer said he would be a judge available at all hours to address emergencies as they occur, including signing warrants, determining probable cause, revoking bonds and similar matters.

He said he would also continue the court’s existing specialty dockets, aimed at decreasing recidivism and helping rehabilition.

Kemerer said he would to help remove barriers that make it difficult for offenders to avoid committing crime in the future.

“Perhaps a person drives without a license because they need to get to work to support their family,” Kemerer said. If they could obtain their license or otherwise get to work, they wouldn’t offend.

“Perhaps a person only steals to support a drug addiction, and if they are given the tools to address their addiction, they will not steal,” he said.

“The court is uniquely positioned to interact with people who have barriers in their lives, find a way to remove those barriers and decrease crime. This will be a constant focus of mine,” Kemerer said.

He said his opponent grew up in legal families, the granddaughter and daughter of local judges. Kemerer contrasts that with his own background, growing up on a farm in northwest Ohio in a family that had never sent anyone to college, much less law school.

He said a major crime in his small farming community when he was 14 inspired him to pursue a legal career.

Kemerer said he worked his way through school, earning an associate’s degree, then a bachelor’s degree and finally a law degree, coming to Mansfield when he was 26.

“I came to Mansfield for the job (in the law director’s office), but what I found was so much more. I found a career, my wife, and later, our son. I found my home and my journey has given me untold appreciation and love for this community,” he said.

He was appointed First Assistant 10 months after joining the law director’s office.

“This is where I achieved the American dream; the idea that where you come from doesn’t determine where you go. I forged my own path to get here and I give my all to the place and people that I love,” Kemerer said.

He and his wife, Carrie, were married 14 years ago and have a son, Jude, 10.

Cassandra Mayer

Mayer, who has been in private legal practice for 24 years, lives on Park Avenue West in Mansfield. She earned a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and her law degree from the University of Toledo.

She said her experience in criminal and civil law in both municipal and common pleas court will ensure an easy transition for her into the judge’s role.

“I can hit the ground running,” she said, adding that running her own legal practice has also given her management experience.

If elected, Mayer said she would address the need to hold offenders accountable, create another specialty docket and create an occasional “night or weekend” court to help residents who work or have time conflicts during weekdays, especially non-violent offenders.

It starts with accountability, said Mayer, who said she has had more than 150 jury or bench trials in both criminal and civil court.

“Whether it be participants in specialty dockets or on regular probation, the importance is accountability for past actions and accountability for treatment and participation.

“I want to expand treatment providers for specialty courts to ensure everyone is involved in form of treatment that meets their needs,” Mayer said.

She said she would like to add a specialty court for senior citizens who find themselves involved in the criminal justice system for issues related to aging, such as dementia and issues with care providers.

“This docket would assist these people with finding the correct future needs and assist in correcting participants with options without convictions,” said Mayer, adding she helped Ault launch the Mental Health Court docket years ago.

“My opponent has no civil experience and his criminal experience is limited to mostly plea-bargaining misdemeanor crimes with no real jury trial experience,” Mayer said.

“Every week there are felony cases filed in Municipal Court where it must be determined if there is probable cause to bind the case over to the grand jury,” she said.

She said Mansfield Municipal Court has a “long-standing reputation as a ‘plea-bargain’ court.”

“I understand that at times this is very necessary and makes sense,” Mayer said. “However, there are times when it does not, especially in cases involving domestic violence, violation of protection orders and OVI.

“All three of these types of cases are changeable to felonies when there has been a (prior) conviction in Municipal Court,” she said.

“My jury trial experience ensures that I am prepared to immediately handle the business of the court.

“I also have experience with civil matters, both on the plaintiff and defendant sides. I have handled small claims and eviction matters,” Mayer said.