Kelly Green, chief magistrate of the Franklin County Probate Court, is running for Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge in the Probate Division in the Nov. 3 general election. Chris Junga is also running in the nonpartisan race.

Asked why she is seeking the office, Green said in the Hilliard Herald's candidate questionnaire: "I believe my experience, knowledge, and leadership have prepared me to lead the court into its next chapter. I have served as a Probate Court magistrate for 16 years and as Chief Magistrate for the past five years." She added: "If elected, I would also be honored to become the first woman to serve as Franklin County Probate Judge."

Candidate information

Party affiliation: "Democrat," Green said in our questionnaire.

Education: "I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Ohio University and a Juris Doctor from New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts," Green said.

Family: "I was born and raised in Ohio in a close-knit family of five children. My father was a steelworker for approximately 30 years, and my mother was a nurse," Green said. Asked whether anyone in her family works in politics or government, she said: "No."

Endorsements: Green has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO, according to BallotReady, and by the AFL-CIO Central Ohio Labor Council, Franklin County Democratic Party and Hilliard Democrats, according to Blue Voter Guide. Those endorsements are claimed by the endorsing organizations.

Experience and public service

Green said in our questionnaire: "I currently serve as Chief Magistrate of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division, where I have been a magistrate since 2010. As Chief Magistrate, I serve as second in command of the court, supervise magistrates and staff, oversee court and clerk operations, manage a high-volume docket, and help develop and implement court policies and procedures."

She said she previously "served as a staff attorney for the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, General Division, from 2002 to 2010, working with several judges."

Green also said she "regularly teach[es] judges and magistrates through the Ohio Supreme Court Judicial College and other legal organizations."

On the issues

What sets her apart: Green said she brings "16 years of direct judicial experience in the Franklin County Probate Court, including five years as Chief Magistrate. I have presided over virtually every type of case that comes before the court, including estates, guardianships, adoptions, trusts, mental health commitments, and complex contested matters."

Accomplishments: Green said: "As Chief Magistrate, I have helped lead a court of approximately 70 employees while maintaining my own judicial docket. I helped lead the implementation of electronic filing for all Probate Court case types and established partnerships with Legal Aid and the Columbus Metropolitan Library to help people navigate the probate process without an attorney."

She added that she "was asked by the Ohio Supreme Court Judicial College to help rewrite probate training for new judges."

What she would change as judge: Green said she would "make accessibility, education, and community engagement central to the court's long-term direction." She noted: "Probate Court touches nearly every family at some point, yet many people do not understand what the court does until they suddenly need it."

Guardianship oversight: Green said guardianship "must include strong safeguards, oversight, and transparency." She said the court "uses investigators to independently examine complaints or concerns involving a person's welfare or a guardian's conduct" and that "when evidence demonstrates that an individual can safely exercise their rights, with appropriate supports or less restrictive alternatives where needed, the court should restore those rights."

Court accessibility: Green said she "helped establish a Small Estates Resource Center and develop a guardianship legal clinic to assist people without attorneys." To measure progress, she said she "would track use of these services, filing errors, recurring problems, and processing times" and "seek feedback directly from the people using our programs and court services through surveys and other methods."