Names in the News: Darrel Bilancini

This is our first installment of Names in the News, where you'll be able to find out a little more about newsmakers in Avon and Avon Lake. This week we're featuring Avon Lake Municipal Court Judge Darrel Bilancini. In addition to serving as the judge to Avon and Avon Lake's municipal court, Darrel also sings in the St. Joseph Choir and will serve as the Avon Lake Kiwanis Club president in 2012-13. In November 2011, he was elected to serve a second six-year term as the Avon Lake Municipal Court  judge. 

What he likes about being the judge:

It is certainly a privilege to be able to sit in judgment of other people's behavior. In a municipal court, the range of cases goes from criminal and traffic minor misdemeanors - like red light violations or disorderly conduct - to 1st-degree misdemeanors of OVI or domestic violence and then there's civil lawsuits for landlord/tenant evictions, small claims damage claims and unpaid credit card claims. Whether they're traffic, criminal or civil cases, the people who appear in our court are generally good people, who deserve to be treated with respect and patience. I like the opportunity to effect people's lives in a positive way. Being in the position of the municipal judge allows me that. Plus, being called "your honor" on a regular basis is not something I could ever get at home.

Proudest accomplishment:

I can't say that I can look back over the last six years as the Avon Lake judge and point to a particular accomplishment that I'm proud of. But I do have a sense of accomplishment at times when I hear from defendants who have gone through successful treatment. (Although I do realize this success may be short-lived since these addiction are normally life-long diseases.) Alcohol and drug addiction are part of about 50% of the criminal cases that come before the court. We deal with OVI offenses from a first time offender to a third offense in a six year period and up to five offenses over 20 years. Many of the other offenses of violence and theft are more times that not due in part to the defendant's alcohol or drug addiction. Feedback from people with alcohol and drug problems about the benefits of their treatment received as result of a sanction imposed by the court provides me some short-term sense of accomplishment.

Why he ran for judge:

I started my legal career about 33 years ago as a juvenile referee in the Lorain County Juvenile Court doing some of what I do now as a municipal judge. That lasted about two years. I then went into private practice as a trial attorney in personal injury defense. For about 15 years the Lorain County Common Pleas Court allowed me to serve as a mediator as part of it's annual Settlement Week. It was those experiences that gave me the confidence to believe that I had the ability to handle the many responsibilities of a municipal judge.

How to make a difference locally:

A municipal court judge is responsible to follow the law, to fairly judge the parties that come before the court, and to treat those people with respect and compassion. I try to be aware of the effect that decisions I make have on the way people view the judicial system. I regularly put people in jail for theft offenses because I've found that it gets their attention and most people are much less likely to think about doing it again - except for those who do it to feed an addiction.

I've been active in the Avon and Avon Lake communities since moving here 27 years ago. My wife and I have raised our three daughters here, have volunteered here, and bought (four payments to go) our burial plots at St. Joseph Cemetery in Avon. I hope to have more opportunities to leave a positive mark on the community by serving as our municipal court judge.