League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
Hamilton County, OH November 6, 2012 Election
	John M. Williams Answers Questions Candidate for Judge, Juvenile Division; Court of Common Pleas

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What are your qualifications for office? (50 Word limit)

I currently serve as the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Hamilton County Juvenile Court. As a former prosecutor, I successfully prosecuted thousands of cases including child support, robbery, rape and murder. I also served as Clerk of Courts, Director of the Board of Elections and Mayor's Court Magistrate.

2. What programs do you support to maintain the independence of the judiciary?

The Judiciary is a separate but co-equal branch of government. Judges are elected to make decisions in accordance with local, state and federal laws. It is my job to follow the law, protect children and provide guidance, not just punishment, for at risk youth and families that appear before me.

3. What specific changes would you like to see in the administration of justice in Hamilton County? (100 word limit)

As Juvenile Court Judge, my top priority is to keep our children and communities safe. Under my leadership, the Court engaged in reforms to better leverage our limited resources to improve the lives of our most vulnerable youth. The Court privately licensed Hillcrest Training School so as to maximize service delivery while saving the county millions in operational expenses. We partnered with local schools in an effort to reduce gun violence through the L.I.V.E. Cincinnati program. I supported the expansion of programs that created education and employment opportunities for youth such as iSPACE, Team Child, and Kids in School Rule!

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Answers will be cut off if they exceed a word limit, if present. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 10, 2012 16:49
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