Trending
LISBON -- An assistant county prosecutor will vie for the position of judge for the Columbiana County Court of Common Pleas.
Attorney Megan Bickerton, who also is currently the solicitor for the village of Lisbon, filed paperwork and announced her candidacy on Thursday.
She is running for the judge seat currently held by C. Ashley Pike, who is wrapping up his third term and has yet to announce whether he will see re-election.
Pike was originally elected in 2000 to the general trial division of the court and was re-elected without opposition in 2006 and 2012.
Bickerton has 12 years of legal experience as an assistant prosecuting attorney and if elected would be the first female judge to sit on the Common Pleas bench.
"After much thought and prayer, and with the full support of my family and friends, I've decided to seek the judgeship in the Court of Common Pleas," she said in a press release announcing her candidacy. "I did not make this decision lightly, but it is my firm belief that my experience as a trial attorney has prepared me for the bench."
She went on to say that she has practiced law in courts all over the county and in numerous appellate courts throughout northeast Ohio handling felony, misdemeanor, traffic and juvenile cases of varying complexity.
"I've spent my career defending the rule of law, the men and women in law enforcement and our Constitution. I seek to become a judge to continue my work in public service, which has always been the goal in my career," she said in the release.
She also said that if elected her goal is to establish a specialty docket, specifically drug court, in Common Pleas Court.
"This specialty docket will help our county in areas of great need, such as the battle against opioids and other addictive drugs by providing additional resources to the afflicted," she said.
She added that she has worked closely with law enforcement for years on drug cases and knows firsthand the widespread effects addiction has on families.
She plans to share her vision for the court over the next few months and looks forward to meeting with voters throughout the county.
She and her husband, David, live in East Liverpool with their son, Wesley.