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Perryman: Please talk about
the importance of good quality leadership at the juvenile
level.
Olender: The best time to
rehabilitate a person is when they’re at that age (under
18). So, it’s imperative to know all the new diversions and
other programs that they now have. However, sometimes kids
have committed an offense requiring that they go to jail or
be certified as an adult. In other cases, though, we try to
do whatever we can to keep juveniles in the community and
try to wrap ourselves around the whole family. That’s what
the court does. And working in the prosecutor’s office,
obviously we agree with that process.
Perryman: Talk about the
personal experiences that have equipped and shaped your
decision-making.
Olender: I grew up in I
what I call my Jeep family. My mom and dad were divorced
when I was age two. For nine years then, my mom raised
myself and my sister Michelle, who had Down Syndrome. And
then my mom married my dad, Gary, and I got two really great
dads out of the whole deal.
I was always sort of a
caretaker with my sister who had special needs, and that
gives you a different perspective. I have another sister,
17 years younger, who was born when I was a junior in high
school. I was already, sort of, in a mom role with her, and
I think that’s also what shaped my decision-making, like
being a prosecutor and how I deal with each case that comes
before me. And then, finally, I come from a strong union
family. UAW on mom’s side and Teamsters on my dad’s side,
so blue-collar all the way.
Perryman: What principles
are the most important for a judge serving on the Court of
Common Pleas?
Olender: First and
foremost is being fair and impartial as well as respect -
respect of each defense counsel, prosecutor, defendant,
victims, witnesses, everyone. I’ve always held that up the
whole time I’ve been up in the courthouses and I’ve been in
3 of the courthouses in Toledo now. Also, I think the main
goal is to protect the public from the criminal side.
When I say that, I don’t
mean protecting the public by throwing everybody in jail.
Should I be elected, it is important to make sure that when
somebody comes in front of me, I give them the sentence that
will keep them from ever coming back into the court again,
if that makes sense.
Perryman: How would you
describe your legal philosophy?
Olender: That’s a good
question. I would say I’m a protector of the public. I
protected kids against child abusers for nine years. So I am
a protector, depending on what the situation is.
Perryman: How do you view
diversity, particularly when a majority of the people who
come through the courts are black and brown people. How will
that affect your decision-making?
Olender: I wouldn’t have
known this when I started in juvenile, but with all the
changes in the judicial system, we have been doing a lot of
training and discussions on equity. We’ve had James Bell of
the Hayward Burns Institute in California come in, and we’ve
been working with him. So, I think it’s extremely
important. The law has to be blind, obviously, but I think
it’s essential to consider where somebody came from when
you’re fashioning a correct sentence to them.
Perryman: Reducing
disparities in a system where prisons are over-represented
with black and brown people for a nonviolent crime is a
priority for many who work for criminal justice reform. What
is your take?
Olender: Yes, I think we
have to keep working on that. I still believe that working
in juvenile is where you start the whole process. Still, I
think it’s really important not to just lock people up but
to find different alternatives to incarceration. Once you
throw people in jail, we know what the statistics are on
that. It’s just a circular motion, and they keep coming
back because dads and moms aren’t at home. I want to make
sure is that we’re doing everything we can to keep families
together.
Perryman: Why are you
running for this particular seat?
Olender: I did nine years
in the adult court with child abuse, and I’ve been in
juvenile for thirteen. I’m very interested in doing a
different aspect of the law and excited to take some of the
things that I’ve learned in juvenile court to the adult
criminal and civil docket.
Perryman: Finally, then,
what main points about your candidacy would you like to
impress upon the minds of voters?
Olender: I have a pretty
diverse background that fits me well to do the job I’m going
to do. If you talk to anybody in the law who’s dealt with
me, prosecutors, other defense attorneys, or judges, I’ve
always been fair and impartial. I want people to know that I
will do my best to protect the public the best way I know
how.
Perryman: Good luck.
Olender: Thanks, I so
appreciate it.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at
drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org |
