Eugene A. Lucci
For Judge of the Eleventh District Court of Appeals
Full Term Beginning 2/9/2023
*Top Vote-Getter in General Election
Candidate Details
- Residence
Concord Township - Email
Friends@JudgeLucci.com - Website
eugenelucci.com - Social Media
facebook.com/JudgeLucci - Age
67 - Occupation
Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Lake County - Education
J.D., Cleveland-Marshall College of Law 1980; Master of Judicial Studies, University of Nevada, Reno 2012
- Work Experience
Common Pleas Judge since 2001, Practicing Trial Attorney for 20 years; Police Officer for 13 years (7 years overlapping as attorney and police officer)
- Family
Married, five daughters, one dog - Affiliations
Christian (non-denominational); Rotary International-Painesville (past president); Lake County Bar Association (past president); Leadership Lake County (past chair of the board); Ohio High School Mock Trial Program (district coordinator); Americans of Italian Heritage
- Endorsements
Lake, Trumbull, Portage, Ashtabula, and Geauga counties Republican Party - 2022
Fraternal Order of Police unanimous endorsements – 2022, 2010
Mentor Patrolman’s Association unanimous endorsement – 2010
- Bar Association Ratings
Lake County Bar Association QUALIFICATIONS POLL – 92.3% highest endorsement of all judicial candidates (appellate and supreme court) – 2022
Lake County Bar Association 96.9% highest endorsement – 2018
Lake County Bar Association 97% highest endorsement – 2012
Eugene A. Lucci
Question 1
List your judicial experience (courts and years)
JUDICIAL EMPLOYMENT Judge, Lake County Common Pleas Court, General Division, 2001-present; served as Presiding Judge of the court, 2009 and 2016, Administrative Judge of the court, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022; Technology Chair of the court, 2003-present; and Court House Security Chair, 2003-present Acting Judge, Municipal Court (Painesville & Mentor), 1988-2000 JUDICIAL TEACHING Judicial College Lecturer: public confidence in the judiciary, ethics and professionalism, the courts and media, science and law, court technology, and court and judicial security SPECIAL JUDICIAL EDUCATION Master of Judicial Studies (M.J.S.) degree, University of Nevada, Reno, May 2012 Inaugural Science & Technology Fellow, Advanced Science & Technology Adjudication Resource certification (ASTAR), Washington DC, Oct 2006 Certificate in Judicial Development, General Jurisdiction Trial Skills, National Judicial College, 2004 JUDICIAL MEMBERSHIPS American Judges Association member, 2001-present; Board of Governors, 2013-present; Judicial Education Committee member since 2013, co-chair 2016-present; Court Security Committee member since 2013, chair 2017-present Ohio Judicial Conference member, 2001-present; Executive Committee member, 2005-present; Ohio Jury Instructions Editorial Board member, 2002-2007; Public Confidence & Community Outreach Committee, member since 2003; co-chair since 2005; Court Technology Committee member, 2012-present; Mentoring Program for New Judges mentor, 2002-present Ohio Common Pleas Judges Association member, 2001-present
Abbreviated Candidate AnswersJUDICIAL EMPLOYMENT Judge, Lake County Common Pleas Court, General Division, 2001-present; served as Presiding Judge of the court, 2009 and 2016, Administrative Judge of the court, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022; Technology Chair of the court, 2003-present; and Court House Security Chair, 2003-present Acting Judge, Municipal Court (Painesville & Mentor), 1988-2000 JUDICIAL TEACHING Judicial College Lecturer: public confidence in the judiciary, ethics and professionalism, the courts and media, science and law, court technology, and court and judicial security SPECIAL JUDICIAL EDUCATION Master of Judicial Studies (M.J.S.) degree, University of Nevada, Reno, May 2012 Inaugural Science & Technology Fellow, Advanced Science & Technology Adjudication Resource certification (ASTAR), Washington DC, Oct 2006 Certificate in Judicial Development, General Jurisdiction Trial Skills, National Judicial College, 2004 JUDICIAL MEMBERSHIPS American Judges Association member, 2001-present; Board of Governors, 2013-present; Judicial Education Committee member since 2013, co-chair 2016-present; Court Security Committee member since 2013, chair 2017-present Ohio Judicial Conference member, 2001-present; Executive Committee member, 2005-present; Ohio Jury Instructions Editorial Board member, 2002-2007; Public Confidence & Community Outreach Committee, member since 2003; co-chair since 2005; Court Technology Committee member, 2012-present; Mentoring Program for New Judges mentor, 2002-present Ohio Common Pleas Judges Association member, 2001-present
Question 2
What non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
ATTORNEY Practicing trial attorney, 1980-2000; experience of trial practice in state and federal trial and appellate courts, in the areas of criminal, civil, domestic relations, probate, juvenile, and federal issues; founding and senior member of law firm, McNamara, Lucci, Hanrahan & Loxterman, 1983-2000 POLICE OFFICER Police Officer 1975-1982, and Sheriff's Detective 1994-2000; uniformed street patrol; investigations of homicides and assaults, rapes and sex offenses, robberies and burglaries, kidnappings and abductions, thefts and embezzlement, controlled substances, cyber-crime TEACHER Adjunct faculty: Lakeland Community College 1983-1998, 2008-present, subjects: criminal justice ethics, law office management, civil procedure, criminal procedure Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy certified instructor, 1983-present, subjects: laws of arrest, search and seizure, Ohio Revised Code criminal sections, semi-automatic pistol & re-qualification of peace officers National Rifle Association of America certified pistol instructor, civilian concealed carry courses Mentor Police Department certified instructor, 1988-1989, Subjects: laws of arrest, search and seizure AUTHOR Co-author: “‘Ideology’ or ‘Situation Sense’? An Experimental Investigation of Motivated Reasoning and Professional Judgment,” 164 U. Pa. L. Rev. 349-439 (Jan. 2016) Author: “Who Owns the Beach of Lake Erie in Ohio,” Master of Judicial Studies Thesis, May 2012 Author: “The Case for Allowing Jurors to Submit Written Questions,” Judicature, Vol. 89, No. 1, July-August 2005 Author: “Judges and Concealed Carry of Handguns,” The Ohio Judges Resource Manual, Chapter 7-4, Ohio Judicial Conference, June 2011-present Many other lesser pieces for bar journals and newspapers
Abbreviated Candidate AnswersATTORNEY Practicing trial attorney, 1980-2000; experience of trial practice in state and federal trial and appellate courts, in the areas of criminal, civil, domestic relations, probate, juvenile, and federal issues; founding and senior member of law firm, McNamara, Lucci, Hanrahan & Loxterman, 1983-2000 POLICE OFFICER Police Officer 1975-1982, and Sheriff's Detective 1994-2000; uniformed street patrol; investigations of homicides and assaults, rapes and sex offenses, robberies and burglaries, kidnappings and abductions, thefts and embezzlement, controlled substances, cyber-crime TEACHER Adjunct faculty: Lakeland Community College 1983-1998, 2008-present, subjects: criminal justice ethics, law office management, civil procedure, criminal procedure Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy certified instructor, 1983-present, subjects: laws of arrest, search and seizure, Ohio Revised Code criminal sections, semi-automatic pistol & re-qualification of peace officers National Rifle Association of America certified pistol instructor, civilian concealed carry courses Mentor Police Department certified instructor, 1988-1989, Subjects: laws of arrest, search and seizure AUTHOR Co-author: “‘Ideology’ or ‘Situation Sense’? An Experimental Investigation of Motivated Reasoning and Professional Judgment,” 164 U. Pa. L. Rev. 349-439 (Jan. 2016) Author: “Who Owns the Beach of Lake Erie in Ohio,” Master of Judicial Studies Thesis, May 2012 Author: “The Case for Allowing Jurors to Submit Written Questions,” Judicature, Vol. 89, No. 1, July-August 2005 Author: “Judges and Concealed Carry of Handguns,” The Ohio Judges Resource Manual, Chapter 7-4, Ohio Judicial Conference, June 2011-present Many other lesser pieces for bar journals and newspapers
Question 3
Why are you running for this particular court seat?
None of the five judges currently on the Eleventh District Court of Appeals has any experience as an active-duty trial judge. No judge currently on the Eleventh District Court of Appeals has sentenced a criminal felon or presided over a felony or major jury trial. I have handled over 26,000 cases in the common pleas court, and have sentenced over 6,000 felony offenders, and conducted well over 300 jury trials. None of the current judges on the court of appeals have ever served as a police officer. I have done all of these things. Such experience and insight is invaluable to the function of an appellate judge in reviewing the work of police officers, trial attorneys, and trial judges. I have written extensively. My 47 years of experience as a police officer, teacher, author, trial attorney, and trial judge will fill this hole with an experienced jurist who will consistently and faithfully follow and apply the law.
Abbreviated Candidate AnswersNone of the five judges currently on the Eleventh District Court of Appeals has any experience as an active-duty trial judge. No judge currently on the Eleventh District Court of Appeals has sentenced a criminal felon or presided over a felony or major jury trial. I have handled over 26,000 cases in the common pleas court, and have sentenced over 6,000 felony offenders, and conducted well over 300 jury trials. None of the current judges on the court of appeals have ever served as a police officer. I have done all of these things. Such experience and insight is invaluable to the function of an appellate judge in reviewing the work of police officers, trial attorneys, and trial judges. I have written extensively. My 47 years of experience as a police officer, teacher, author, trial attorney, and trial judge will fill this hole with an experienced jurist who will consistently and faithfully follow and apply the law.