10/25/2024
With the election looming I have been asked by some who I recommend for the newly approved third judge position at the 63rd District Court. To that question I enthusiastically endorse Daniel O'Hara.
I have known and sparred with Dan since he joined the Kent County Prosecutor's Office. We have negotiated plea deals and dismissals and we have tried cases against each other. He has always been fair and open minded and takes a critical look at the case, the charges, and the defendant in his dealings with me and my clients. He was and is open to creative solutions where and when appropriate. All qualities that would, in my opinion, make an excellent judge for the district court bench.
I see that his opponent has asserted that somehow nepotism is at play in this election since Dan's father is also a judge at the 63rd District Court. I struggle to see how that is the case because Dan prevailed in the primary and because his qualifications, as show by the assessment of the local bar association, are exceptional. A process, incidentally, Mr. Paasch chose not to engage in.
I also see that his opponent touts his own "experience" as being somehow greater than Dan's. All I can say is I have been practicing both civil litigation and criminal defense in Kent county for 27 years and have never once seen Mr. Paasch in any court room. Moreover, Mr. Paasch highlights his experience as a police officer. In my office we digitize all client files when they are closed, including police reports and witness lists. I have searched our database, which consists of thousands of clients, and I cannot find one single report or witness list where his name appears. Make of that what you will.
Nevertheless, I encourage you to vote for Daniel O'Hara for 63rd District Court judge on election day.
