Candidate for
Judge; Hamilton County Municipal Court; District 5

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jeffrey F. Peck, Chair
CBA Judicial Candidate Rating & Endorsement Committee
October 9, 2001 (513) 352-6745

CBA ANNOUNCES 2001 JUDICIAL ENDORSEMENTS

The Cincinnati Bar Association (CBA) released today its 2001 judicial endorsements for contested Municipal Court races in Hamilton County. Conducted annually, this endorsement process is a public service project the association undertakes to provide the community with information regarding candidates running for local judgeships on Election Day. The CBA?s Judicial Candidate Rating & Endorsement Committee (JCREC), chaired by local attorney Jeffrey F. Peck of Thompson Hine LLP, facilitates this process, which involves an extensive review of candidates? qualifications, results from a poll of local attorneys who have personally observed the candidates, candidate interviews and interviews with practicing attorneys. Receiving an endorsement means the committee is giving its approval to that candidate. Endorsement means more than the committee finds the candidate qualified for office.

The 2001 judicial endorsements are as follows (see attached for further comments):

Municipal Court District Five: Of the two first-time candidates up for election, the JCREC endorses Darlene Green Kamine.

District Five:

District Five is the only district in which there is no incumbent judge running, as both Darlene Green Kamine and Heather Stein Russell are first-time candidates. The committee endorses Ms. Kamine in this race and chooses not to endorse Ms. Russell. Ms. Kamine served as a Magistrate in Juvenile Court for 17 years. She has also served as an Assistant Ohio Attorney General. Those attorneys who practiced in front of her when she was a Magistrate were complimentary of her diligence, preparation and efficiency.

Ms. Russell has spent the last 17 years as a Hamilton County Prosecutor in a number of positions, handling criminal matters. She does not have significant civil experience. While she has earned praise from attorneys for her work as a prosecutor, she has been criticized by some attorneys and judges for over-zealous conduct in the courtroom. The manner in which she responded to this criticism raised concerns on the part of the committee as to how she may perform as a judge.