All too often in our small community of Bowling Green, individuals make a legal mistake and wind up in a court of law. The question is… to what extent should an individual be prosecuted for their crime? Many of us with a limited knowledge of the law, (and depending on one’s political stripe), demand either leniency or a harsh penalty. The job of a judge is to listen to the arguments from both the defense and the prosecution and make a reasonable decision regarding the punishment meted out to the defendant.
As prosecutor for the City of Bowling Green, Matt Reger has dealt with this situation on hundreds of occasions. There are times when some may feel that Matt’s prosecution is too lenient and sometimes, depending on the circumstances, they may feel it’s too harsh. As prosecutor for the City of BG, Matt has had to look at the severity of the crime and the long term effects of the punishment. Matt has worked closely with the BG Municipal Court judge and defense attorneys, (whether appointed by the court, privately retained as legal counsel, or through an organization like Student Legal Services on campus at BGSU), to fairly prosecute an individual while working to come to a reasonable punishment which fits the crime.
Judges must have experience. They must have the ability to hear testimony from both sides and develop a decision that satisfies the law and encourages the defendant to exercise better personal responsibility in the future. Through Matt’s extensive experience in Wood County and Bowling Green Municipal Courts, I believe he is the best candidate for judge of Wood County Common Pleas Court. Of the candidates in the running, Matt clearly stands out as the one with the most experience and in my personal history of knowing Matt for over 20 years I believe he would make the most reasonable judgments while serving from this very important bench.
Chris Gajewicz
Bowling Green
