As we enter the final month before the election and early voting begins, we write to you to express our enthusiastic support for Corey Speweik as the next judge of the Wood County Court of Common Pleas.
As former presidents of the Wood County Bar Association, we are all lawyers who have practiced in Wood County for many years. We have a combined total of over 122 years of legal experience. We have seen Corey’s work—both in and out of the courtroom—and strongly believe that he is the best candidate to serve the citizens of Wood County.
Since he began practicing law, Corey has been actively involved with the Wood County Bar Association. He served terms as president, vice president, and secretary-treasurer of the WCBA, and served six years on the executive board. Corey was also a member of the grievance committee, which investigates and prosecutes complaints about lawyers’ unethical behavior, for over ten years, including a term as the committee’s chairperson. He is currently the chairperson of the character and fitness committee, which interviews law students who are preparing to take the bar exam to ensure that they meet the qualifications to practice law in Ohio.
Corey’s wide-ranging legal experience particularly suits him to serve on the common pleas court, which hears cases involving all types of civil, criminal, and domestic relations matters. For nearly 13 years, Corey has represented local citizens and businesses in civil disputes in all levels of Ohio’s courts, from municipal courts to the Supreme Court of Ohio. He has represented parties on both sides of domestic relations cases, including divorces, child support matters, custody cases, and civil protection orders. Corey also has the advantage of experience in both defending and prosecuting criminal matters. In addition to his private practice, Corey currently serves as the prosecutor for several municipalities in Wood County. But what gives Corey even more of an advantage is his experience as a magistrate in the Walbridge and Northwood Mayor’s Courts. These positions have given him insight into what it takes to run a courtroom and make the decisions judges face every day.
Beyond practicing law, Corey is a farmer and small business owner. His business experience has taught him the value of using time and resources wisely and efficiently, respecting the people he works with, and completing tasks in a timely manner. Although most people do not think of managerial skills as important when they think of traits of good judges, these are skills that are needed to keep a courtroom running efficiently. Judicial efficiency helps ensure that each case is decided as promptly as possible so that litigants are not kept waiting longer than necessary for decisions that are incredibly important to them and feel that they were treated fairly by the judicial system.
More importantly, Corey is invested in the well-being of the Wood County community. He serves on the board of Alicia’s Voice, an organization that advocates on behalf of survivors of domestic violence, and the Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board. He has served for many years as a court-appointed guardian ad litem, which required him to investigate custody cases and make recommendations to the court to protect the child’s best interest. He will take this concern for the citizens of our county to the bench and use it to make fair, impartial decisions in every case before him.
In short, Corey Speweik’s experience—both legal and business—and community-mindedness make him an ideal candidate for the Wood County Court of Common Pleas. We urge you to vote for Corey Speweik.
Sincerely,
Former Wood County Bar Association Presidents
Richard A. Schmidt (2001)
J. Douglas Ruck (2004)
Robert D. Strauss (2006)
Brian D. Smith (2013)
Michael B. Kelley (2014)
Emily C. Samlow (2015)
