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Thomas O Beridon

Thomas O Beridon

For Judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, General Division
Full Term Beginning 1/3/2023

Candidate Q&A

Candidate Details

  • Residence
    Hamilton County
  • Email
    vote@electberidon.com
  • Website
    electberidon.com
  • Social Media
    facebook.com/electberidon
    twitter.com/electberidon
  • Age
    50
  • Occupation
    Chief Magistrate - Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas
  • Education

    University of Cincinnati College of Law - 1999
    Ohio University - 1995
    Finneytown High School -1991

  • Work Experience

    The day after being admitted to the Ohio bar in 1999, I had my first trial as a juvenile public defender. In 2004, I joined the City of Cincinnati’s Law Department as an assistant City Prosecutor. In both of those jobs I was in court every day, trying cases to the bench and juries. I was promoted to the City Solicitor’s civil division in 2007. While in the civil division I litigated claims initiated by and against the City of Cincinnati in the Court of Common Pleas and the 1st District Court of Appeals. I then spent six years leading the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Administrative Hearings as the Hearing Examiner. As the Hearing Examiner, I presided over hearings where civil violations of the Cincinnati Municipal Code were litigated, as well as requests for zoning variances. I left that position in 2018 when I was elected to the Common Pleas bench. I served as Common Pleas Judge until February of 2021, and became Magistrate in March of 2021.
    I have been a litigator, hearing officer, or judge for the whole of my legal career, and therefore have appeared in court frequently with experience in every aspect of the process.

  • Family
    Married with 2 children and one bulldog
  • Affiliations

    Supreme Court of Ohio, October 2019 – February 2021
    Commission on Technology and the Courts

    Talbert House, October 2010 – December 2018
    Board of Trustees

    Nativity Parish, May 2015 – November 2018
    Parish Council President

    Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio, April 2017 – December 2018
    Volunteers Lawyer Project

    Cincinnati Works, January 2008 – 2014
    Chair, Legal Advisory Board

    Hamilton County Criminal Justice Commission, October 2009 – November 2010
    Policy and Structure Committee

    Madisonville Redevelopment Corporation, August 2001- September 2004
    Member

  • Endorsements

    Senator Sherrod Brown
    Ironworkers Local 44
    AFSCME Ohio Counsel 8
    Sheet Metal Workers Local 24
    IBEW Local 212
    IUOE Local 20
    Hamilton County Democratic Party

     

     

  • Bar Association Ratings

    The Cincinnati Bar Association has not yet published their ratings.

Photo of Thomas O Beridon Thomas O Beridon

Question 1

List your judicial experience (courts and years)

Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas - General Divison - December 2018 to Feburary 2021.

Question 2

What non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?

Prior to being a judge and than a magistrate I had been a juvenile public defender, a prosecutor, a civil attorney, and a hearing officer during my twenty-two years as an attorney.
I have arbitrated and mediated cases for the Better Business Bureau, Hamilton County courts, and substituted as a Commissioner for the City of Cincinnati Civil Service Commission.
I volunteered with the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio doing pro-bono work for indigent domestic relation clients.
In addition to serving my community as a lawyer I was a member of the Talbert House Board of Trustees.
My entire legal career has been dedicated to the proposition that everyone deserves equal access to justice. My twenty plus years of experience in courts and hearings will enable me as a Common Pleas Judge to make fair decisions in a timely manner for all those who try cases in front of me.

Question 3

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I am running for this seat because my skills and experience make me uniquely qualified to serve the community where I was born and raised, and where I am now raising my family. I have been a prosecutor, a public defender, a civil litigator, an administrative hearing officer, a Common Pleas Judge, and a Magistrate. I am running for this office because everyone who comes through the courthouse doors deserves respect and a full and fair opportunity for justice, and I can provide that. I did that every day as a Judge, and continue to do so as a Magistrate.

If elected, I will measure success by the number of cases brought to trial before me, and by tracking and utilization of data regarding sentencing and pre-trial practices to ensure equitable treatment of all before me.