Candidates
Candidate Profiles
Morgan Masters
Candidate for:
Franklin County Municipal Court
Undergraduate Education:
The Ohio State University, B.A. Criminology (2003)
Legal Education:
Juris Doctor, Capital University Law School (2006)
Legal Experience:
- Frost Brown Todd, LLC, 2013-Present
- Certified Ohio Magistrate, 2012-Present
- Ice Miller, LLP, 2009-2013
- Scott & Nolder, LPA 2006-2009
Candidate Statement:
(In response to the question, "Please explain why you believe you are qualified for the judicial position for which you are seeking election.")
I believe I am qualified for this position based on my work experience and on my temperament. As I previously stated, a great judge in FCMC is not just a person who's practiced in the courthouse for years. Rather, it's someone who also understands the diversity of the cases that come before the judiciary, someone who knows how to conduct trials and motion hearings from actual experience, and someone who can juggle a large volume of cases without compromising fairness, timeliness, and an even temperament.
My combined experience as a felony criminal defense attorney, a misdemeanor prosecutor, and as a magistrate has taken me to all sorts of different courts in various counties. It has provided me the opportunity to engage with an incredibly broad demographic of people, thus equipping me with the ability to effectively communicate with anyone, with the caveat of language barriers. My experience has also given me the perspective of many who would appear in front of me in FCMC, be it that of a defense attorney, a prosecutor, a low-income defendant, a victim, a police officer, a business owner/operator, etc. Additionally, I've tried cases from both a defense and prosecution standpoint, and as a magistrate; I have a thorough understanding of how the rules of evidence operate in a trial and motion hearing setting.
Furthermore, my current position has helped me develop what I believe is a keen ability to evaluate a case for its strengths and weaknesses based on my thorough knowledge of the law, the rules of evidence, and on the facts and evidence at hand. Finally, as a prosecutor and as a magistrate, I often have to make difficult, sometimes unpopular decisions, and the ability to do that is crucial to being a great judicial officiant.
Ultimately, I think people seek judicial office for many different reasons. For me, it has nothing to do with wearing a robe or being referred to as "your honor"; in fact, I could easily forego both of these job-accompanying characteristics; of course, I do understand and respect their necessity for the demeanor and professionalism of the courtroom. Nevertheless, I am seeking judicial office in Franklin County Municipal Court because I would truly value the opportunity to use what I believe are my best qualities to make a living serving our communities in Franklin County. The sense of civic responsibility I've felt over the years as a prosecutor and magistrate is gratifying, and I believe becoming a judge in FCMC will only amplify that. Despite many of our colleagues' quips about "how easy it is to be a judge in muny [sic] court", I find the position to be one of great responsibility to the lawyers, civilians, and law enforcement who pass through its doors every single day. As the saying goes, "with great power comes great responsibility", and I truly subscribe to that school of thought. Becoming a member of the judiciary will be an honor, and an assignment I will not take lightly.
Columbus Bar Association
2017 Judiciary Committee Finding:
Highly Recommended
Columbus Bar Association
Judicial Poll Results:
2017 Judicial Preference Poll
Running Against:
Keith Nowak
Jodi Thomas