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Barberton Muni Court Judge David Fish seeks 3rd term
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: April 5, 2019
As a young man, Barberton Municipal Court Judge David Fish toyed with the idea of becoming a talent agent and a congressman, but as time progressed he realized that his true calling was the law.
“What I enjoy most is coming up with solutions that leave many victims and defendants in a better position when their matters are concluded than when they began,” said Judge Fish.
First elected to Barberton Municipal Court in 2007, Judge Fish has served as presiding and administrative judge since 2012, overseeing court operations in addition to handling a docket, which includes the direct indictment program in felony cases as well as traffic and criminal misdemeanors and civil litigation.
“I love being a municipal court judge,” said Judge Fish. “As municipal court judge, I can act as an early intervener, identifying potential problems like mental health issues and substance abuse and connecting residents with professionals who can help change the behaviors before the issues escalate and lead to involvement with other courts.”
In fact, Judge Fish helped develop and presides over the Barberton Municipal Mental Health Court, which began in 2013. The court’s first specialized docket, it provides for increased supervision and treatment for offenders with mental illness.
Barberton Municipal Court has also unveiled a drug court, which Judge Todd McKenney presides over.
But Judge Fish said there’s still much more to be accomplished, which is why he announced in February that he is running for a third term in November 2019 against Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Jill Flagg Lanzinger, who previously served on the Barberton court bench.
“Eighty-five percent of the people who come through the judicial system do so at the municipal court level,” said Judge Fish. “I really care about everyone who comes before me and if I can help them to nip their problems in the bud, it brings me great joy.”
Solo practitioner Donald Hicks described Judge Fish as a “tremendously fair judge, who loves what he does and uses his role to make the community a better place.”
The two have known one another since the early 1980s when they were both new attorneys.
“I was on the other side of cases when he was an assistant prosecutor,” said Hicks. “Our cases never went to trial because we always relied on a sense of fairness to work out a plea deal.
“I’ve been in his court hundreds of times since he became a judge,” said Hicks. “Judge Fish truly cares about everyone who comes before him, whether they are defendants or citizens looking for guidance.”
While he has been dedicated to the law for more than 25 years, he did test the talent agent waters before taking a legal position.
A native of Akron, Judge Fish received his bachelor’s degree in political science and public policy from Tulane University in New Orleans.
“When I was at Tulane, I did a semester in Washington, D.C. because I was interested in one day serving in Congress,” he said. “My time in Washington, D.C. got me interested in shaping public policy. I also had an interest in being a talent agent. I believed a law degree would be helpful for both.”
While attending The University of Akron School of Law, Judge Fish traveled to Los Angeles, where a cousin was a writer and producer for a local radio station.
“He interviewed celebrities and he took me into the studio, which was very cool,” Judge Fish said.
After receiving his juris doctor in 1984, Judge Fish returned to Los Angeles and tried to break into the talent agency business. While that didn’t happen, he was able to land a job doing advertising at the Sheiner Group.
“I worked on the national account for Farmers Insurance,” said Judge Fish. “My then wife, Robin Bell, who I met in law school, was working for a labor law firm at the time and eventually she wanted us to move back to Ohio so we could start a family.”
It was while working on ad campaigns at Hesselbart & Mitten that his former law school classmate, Barberton Law Director Marty Bodnar asked him if he would be interested in serving as an assistant prosecutor.
“When I got the offer I realized I still had an itch to be a lawyer so after talking it over with Robin, I decided to do it.”
Judge Fish went on to serve 16 years as a criminal prosecutor in Barberton Municipal Court for municipalities in Green, Copley, Barberton, Norton, Coventry, New Franklin and Clinton. He also spent 15 years as a criminal prosecutor for the now disbanded Norton Mayor’s Court.
Carmen Roberto, of counsel at Niekamp, Weisensell, Mutersbaugh & Mastrantonio first met Judge Fish when he was an assistant prosecutor.
“I was on the other side of multiple criminal cases when he was a prosecutor,” said Roberto. “I have also appeared before him on numerous occasions and worked with him at the Akron Bar Association, where he is very active.
“Judge Fish is a highly experienced and exceptional attorney and an equally experienced judge. He is one of the top judges in our county. He is more than fair, he knows what he’s doing and he understands what it takes to prepare a case,” said Roberto.
“He is always cordial and respectful and possesses absolute integrity. He has the respect of both defense lawyers and prosecutors because he always tries to do the right thing.”
A longtime Akron Bar Association member and Akron Bar Foundation fellow, Judge Fish also serves as a trustee for the Association of Municipal/County Judges of Ohio. He is also a founding member and former president of the Summit County Domestic Violence Coalition.
On Jan. 17 he was appointed by Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor to serve a three-year term on the Ohio Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Court Security.
Judge Fish is also a former adjunct professor at Akron Law, where he taught “Criminal Evidence and Legal Process,” from 2001 to 2007.
Solo practitioner J. Dean Carro, emeritus professor of law at The University of Akron School of Law was a new professor at the law school when Judge Fish first started there as a student.
“I remember that Judge Fish handled the pressure of law school quite well,” said Carro, who later appeared before him when he became a judge. “Prior to taking the bench, Judge Fish was a local prosecutor for a long time and sometimes when former prosecutors or even defense counsel become judges it can be a difficult transition.
“In his case, the transition was seamless. He went from one role into the other.
“The municipal court is often called the people’s court because some matters don’t justify the hiring of an attorney so there are many pro se litigants,” said Carro. “Judge Fish understands this very well; he is always compassionate, he listens and understands the people who come before him.”
“I am the proud father of two daughters with doctorate degrees in pharmacy and physical therapy,” said Judge Fish. “I have also been in a committed relationship with Jennifer Alder for many years. I look forward to hitting the campaign trail with them.”
His first campaign stop is the Barberton Cherry Blossom Parade, which gets underway at 10 a.m. on May 18.