I have practiced law in northwest Ohio for nearly two decades. I try cases. I stand in courtrooms across the region and watch judges work. Very often, the quality of the judge matters more than anything else in the room.
Wood County has a good one in Judge Joel Kuhlman. On Nov. 3, voters should keep him on the Wood County Court of Common Pleas.
I know Judge Kuhlman from the many, many years of appearing in his courtroom and from the many years he served as a practicing attorney. Every time I walk into his courtroom, I know two things. First, he has read the file. Second, he will treat my client, the opposing party, and every witness with the same respect and the same rules. Sure, that sounds simple. However, it is unfortunately rare.
Judge Kuhlman never arrived on the bench with a political agenda. He arrived with an engineering degree, a law degree, and more than a decade of real-world practice representing families, small businesses, and local governments across Wood County. He served on Bowling Green City Council and as a Wood County commissioner. He understands how the decisions made in a courtroom ripple through a community.
Since taking the bench in 2021, he has produced results. His fellow judges chose him to serve as administrative judge over all three general division courts. Under his leadership, the court cut its backlog of pending criminal cases by more than half, expanded treatment and GPS monitoring programs that hold offenders accountable while protecting the public, partnered with Owens Community College and Penta Career Center to give defendants a path forward, and returned more than $1.3 million to the county’s general fund. He runs a court that moves cases, protects taxpayers, and respects the people who appear before it.
Good judges are fair, prepared, and even-tempered. Joel Kuhlman is all three. I have seen it from the counsel table.
I confidently urge Wood County voters to re-elect Judge Joel Kuhlman on Nov. 3
Bruce W. Boerst Jr.
Attorney-at-law, Boerst Law Office, Inc.
Toledo
