What Washington Could Learn from Medina County

Click below to read Joyce's latest column in the Trading Post.

Compare Joyce to her Opponent

Click on the image below to enlarge it and see why you should elect Joyce V. Kimbler as your next Medina County Common Pleas Court Judge. 

1400: What Does it Mean?

Click below to read Joyce's latest column that ran in the Trading Post on Saturday, October 4, 2014:

The Difference Between Mayor's Court and Common Pleas Court

Joyce's opponent is citing his experience in running a mayor's court as reason to elect him as Judge of the Medina County Common Pleas Court. But are the two really comparable? Click below to see the differences between a mayor's court and the Medina County Common Pleas Court. After you do, we think you will agree that the two really have nothing in common except the word "court".

Joyce Kimbler for Judge Video Clip for Fall Campaign

Kimbler Campaign Distributes Literature this Weekend

The Joyce Kimbler for Judge Committee conducted literature "drops" in Seville, Westfield Center, Brunswick, and Wadsworth this weekend. Literature drops are when volunteers leave the literature at the house as opposed to knocking on doors and talking to residents if they are home. We are always looking for more volunteers to do these drops. It takes about five hours or so to cover a precinct with one person, and they can be done over a period of time. The Kimbler campaign provides the list, a map of the area, and campaign literature. If you are interested in helping Joyce out by doing your precinct, click here to fill our a form.

Friday Night Lights: Joyce at the Medina-Wadsworth Game on September 12, 2014

Joyce spent her birthday at various campaign events including the Medina-Wadsworth High School Football game. Joyce greeted the crowd, along with other candidates running this fall.

What Confusion?

People supporting Joyce's opponent like to say that Joyce is trying to "confuse" the voters and trick them into thinking that she is actually her husband, Judge James L. Kimbler. This is a very interesting line of attack since the implication is that Joyce, by the very act of running, is "confusing" the voters and therefore they shouldn't vote for her.

While this attack may have superficial appeal to certain people, a moment's reflection shows that it is spurious. In virtually all of her campaign advertising Joyce displays either her name or a photo and in most cases both. This is true of her website, her Facebook page, and this blog. All three of those have her name and photo. Now it is hard to imagine that voters are going to confuse her with her husband, but if they do, there's nothing more that Joyce can do to point out to them that she, and not her husband, is the candidate. In other words any confusion in the minds of voters is not because of any actions by Joyce or her husband. 

This attack is also sexist. This attack seems to assume that professional women have no separate existence of their own, with their own careers, their own accomplishments, and their own success. That of course is not true. Joyce brings over 29 years of litigation experience to this campaign. She has been a trial lawyer in courts all across Ohio. She has represented thousands of clients like you, your family, your friends, and your neighbors. Long before she became Joyce V. Kimbler she was known as an accomplished and experienced litigator.

Indeed, based on responses to a open records request sent to all 88 Clerks of Courts in Ohio, Joyce has been an attorney of record in over 10 times as many cases as her opponent in Ohio's Common Pleas Courts. She has been an attorney of record in over 6 times as many cases in the Medina County Common Pleas Court as her opponent. As of August 4, 2014, her opponent had last filed a case in the Medina County Common Pleas Court in 2009. 

What this attack is really about is the hope of supporters of her opponent that voters won't take the time to compare the legal experience of both candidates in the race. That they won't take the time to analyze which candidate has the experience and the temperament to make a good judge for the Medina County Common Pleas Court. 

Joyce's campaign believes that the voters of Medina County are better than that and that they are willing to think before they vote. If they do we are confident that they will vote for Joyce Kimbler for Medina County Common Pleas Court.  

Not a Number, My Mother

by Brianna Laybourn

My mother is a factual and objective woman.  Ask her how many cases she’s litigated and where , and she’ll have an answer.  I will not be surprised when this number is phenomenal.  The fact I want to deal with is that Joyce Kimbler (nee Laybourn) is my mother.

She raised my brother and I as single mother starting when I was six and up until she remarried when I was nineteen.  By the time she marries James Kimbler she had been working as a litigator for 11 years full time.  She had tried many cases in actual court rooms.  But she did this, as many single mothers do, with endurance and fortitude.  When my father left us he cleaned out the bank account and took all the furniture.  My mother literally has had to start from scratch.  This has made her a fair and compassionate advocate of the clients put in her charge.  She would work second job teaching paralegals each year so my brother and I could have a Florida vacation.  Christmas always came after the new year when everything was put on clearance.

My mother told us always to be objective even if the reality was harsh.  So I can say objectively Joyce Laybourn Kimbler has the qualifications to make an excellent judge.  I am so very proud to be her daughter.

Why Me, Why Now?

Click on the article below to read a bigger version of the "Why Me, Why Now?" by Joyce that ran in the September 6, 2014 Trading Post. 

Swiss Steak Dinner at the Litchfield Assemblies of God on September 6, 2014

Earlier this summer Joyce and her husband attended a dinner at the Assemblies of God Church in Litchfield. The church is located on Norwalk Road, (State Route 18) just east of the Litchfield Circle. At that time the people at the church told Joyce that she should be sure to come back for the church's Swiss Steak Dinner in September. Joyce promised she would be back.

On Friday, September 5, 2014, Joyce kept her promise. She and her husband, Judge James L. Kimbler, stopped in for dinner before going to the Highland-Buckeye Football game. They enjoyed the Swiss steak and Jim enjoyed the pumpkin pie. The parishioners who recommended that Joyce come back for the Swiss steak certainly knew what they were talking about.

Friday Night Lights: Joyce at the Highland-Buckeye Game on September 5, 2014

Joyce was at the Highland Hornets game with the Buckeye Bucks on Friday, September 5. She met people, passed out literature and candy, and enjoyed the atmosphere of Friday night high school football in Medina County.

Medina County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting on September 4, 2014

Joyce and her husband, Judge James L. Kimbler attended the 2014 annual Medina County Farm Bureau Meeting held at the Chatham Township VFW on Thursday, September 4. The annual meeting is open to all Farm Bureau members and includes election of officers and reports on Farm Bureau activities during the preceding year. The members also discuss what positions they want their county, state, and national Farm Bureau organizations to take on certain issues. This meeting is also open to county office holders and candidates running for office in 2014. The Medina County Farm Bureau has a Facebook Page that can be seen by clicking here.

Taste of Wadsworth on September 3, 2014

Joyce was at A Taste of Wadsworth on Wednesday, September 3, 2014. The event was sponsored by Downtown Wadsworth. Downtown Wadsworth is a non-profit organization which promotes commercial development in downtown Wadsworth and sponsors events designed to bring people to the downtown area of Wadsworth. The event went from 5 to 8 pm and featured food offered by Wadsworth businesses and non-profit organizations as well as food trucks. Over the course of the event it was estimated that several thousand people would come through to purchase food and listen to music. Below are some pictures from the event.

People enjoying A Taste of Wadsworth 

Joyce at Ann's Pastry Shop, a downtown Wadsworth landmark and one of the exhibitors at A Taste of Wadsworth

Joyce with Wadsworth resident Julie Batey. Julie is on the Wadsworth Board of Education and is also active in the WHS Alumni organization

Friday Night Lights Begins for the Joyce Kimbler Campaign

Joyce kicked off the Labor Day weekend campaign activities by greeting people at the Brunswick High School Football game with Medina on August 29, 2014. The crowd was big and friendly and enthusiastic for the start of the 2014 high school football season. Below is a picture of Joyce with Medina County Prosecutor Dean Holman and his lovely wife Karen. Dean is a long time supporter of Brunswick football and attended the Brunswick school system when he was in junior high. Dean graduated from Rhodes High School in Cleveland where he played football.

Medina County Prosecutor Dean Holman Sponsors Joyce Kimbler for Judge Fundraiser

Medina County Prosecutor Dean Holman sponsored a fundraiser for the Joyce Kimbler for Judge Committee on Thursday, (8/28/2014), at Sully's in downtown Medina. Several attorneys from Medina and surrounding counties attended the event. Below are some pictures of people at the event.

Fundraiser at Weymouth County Club in Medina

On Wednesday evening Carl and Laurel Letts and Michael and Terri Spertino hosted a fundraiser for the Joyce Kimbler for Judge campaign. The gathering took place on the patio of the Weymouth Country Club. Mike and Laurel work with Joyce at Nationwide Insurance's Trial Division. The gathering was a bi-partisan group of supporters who believe, regardless of party affiliation, that Joyce is the best candidate for Common Pleas Court Judge. Below are some pictures from the event.

Early arrivals at the fundraiser. 

Laurel Letts, on the left of the picture. 

Joyce with Terri Spertino

Bi-Partisan Fundraiser for Joyce Kimbler for Judge Committee

On Sunday afternoon, August 24, a group of concerned Medina County citizens got together at the home of David and Gloria Brown for a fundraiser for the Joyce Kimbler for Judge Committee. What made this event special was that this group was a consciously bi-partisan group of people who are backing Joyce not because they are of her political party but because they believe she is the best candidate in this year's election.

In a brief speech to the group Joyce pointed out that the power of the American justice system depends on the willingness of the American public to accept the decisions of its judges and courts. This willingness depends on our courts and judges appearing and being bi-partisan. Justice cannot depend, or just as importantly, appear to depend, on which political party a litigant or attorney happens to belong. The people who attended this event instinctively know that and they also know that if Joyce is elected judge she will deliver justice without regard for party label or affiliation.

Campaigning in Brunswick's Ward 3

The Kimbler for Judge and Sheldon for Judge campaigns held a joint campaign event in Brunswick's Ward 3 on  Saturday, August 16, 2014. The two campaigns distributed in Brunswick's Ward 3.Prior to campaigning volunteers met at the Route 303 McDonald's for instructions and literature. More such events are planned in the next few weeks. Click here to find out how you can volunteer to help Joyce become Medina County's next Common Pleas Court Judge.  Below are some photos from this event.

Emmanuel United Church of Christ Fish Fry in Valley City

The second event that Joyce and her husband, Judge James L. Kimbler, attended on Friday night was the fish fry dinner at the Emmanuel United Church of Christ in Valley City. Joyce met women from the church when she was judging the Valley City Frog Jump on Sunday, August 10. The women from the church were kind enough to give out free coffee to people who were setting up for the frog jump. The church's fish fry was just as good as their coffee. Below are some pictures from this event.

Kitchen crew at the fish fry. 

Joyce's banner on the mini-JoyceMobile, a Chevrolet Equinox. 

Medina County Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Don Boone helping with the fish fry. 

Medina Rotary Club Wine and Cheese Fundraiser for Medina General Hospital

On Friday evening Joyce and her husband, Judge James L. Kimbler, attended two events. The first was the annual Medina Rotary Club's wine and cheese event to benefit Medina General Hospital. This event always draws a good crowd and held outside of the hospital's Entrance A. Below are some pictures from Friday evening.

Joyce enjoying wine and conversation with Lorie A. Walker, Director of Wholesale Sales for Jilbert Winery of Valley City

Joyce and Pam Miller who is on the Medina General Hospital Board and also on the Medina County Board of Elections

Joyce and Attorney Ian Haberman 

Future Lawyers at the Wadsworth Bi-Centennial Celebration

Over this past weekend two recent graduates of the University of Akron Law School, Lavell Payne and Lee Potts, visited the Wadsworth Bi-Centennial with Lavell's children. They talked with former Mayor Caesar Carrino, who portrays General Eljiah Wadsworth, one of the founding fathers of Wadsworth, listened to some music and took in the atmosphere of the Celebration.They also wore their Joyce Kimbler for Judge shirts. They looked good in them, if we do say so ourselves.

Lavell will be working with Nationwide Insurance Trial Division. Lee will be taking the Ohio bar examination next February. Lavell is currently working with Nationwide while she waits for her bar examination results. Lee is clerking with the Medina County Prosecutor's office.

Lavell, her children, Lee, and Caesar Carrino as General Elijah Wadsworth 

  

Band playing at the Wadworth Bicentennial 

Twilight Stroll Home Tour of the South Court Historic Neighborhood Association

On Saturday evening Joyce and her husband, Judge James L. Kimbler, were docents for the Twilight Stroll Home Tour sponsored by the South Court Historic Neighborhood Association. The tour covered several homes on South Court Street and Broadway Street in Medina. The tour lasted from 5-9 pm and several hundred people took the tour.

Joyce and Jim were docents at a home recently purchased by Brad and Kelly Wagner. The home had been a rental unit for several years, but the Wagners are rehabilitating the home and plan to start living in the home this fall. This is the second home that the Wagners have restored, the first being in Urbana, Ohio, which is Brad's hometown.

The home is the actually one of the three oldest homes on South Court street, but since the exterior was covered with shingles in the 1940s or early 1950s it doesn't have the same appearance as homes on South Court Street that were actually built later than the Wagner home.

The Wagner home is an example of a home being changed from a rental unit to a owner-occupied home. Many of the Wagner's new neighbors stopped in to say hello and meet Molly. Unfortunately Brad was not able to take part in the tour since he is fulfilling an obligation to the Army National Guard.

The outside of the Wagner home on South Court Street. 

Plaque on the Wagner Home showing the date it was built

Kelly Wagner on the tour. She has a great smile! 

Kelly talking to the first people to come through the home. 

Joyce waiting for the tour to start

Lady Justice: Empowering Our Daughters

Click on the image below to read the article by Joyce.

Joyce at the Medina County Junior Fair Livestock Auction

Joyce attended the Medina County Junior Fair Livestock Auction on Friday, August 1, and Saturday, August 2. She purchased the Grand Reserve Champion Market Rabbit on Friday and a swine on Saturday. Since this was the first time that Joyce had attended the livestock auction, she was aided by an experienced livestock auction buyer, Dan Lloyd of Seville. The rabbits she purchased were raised by Chris Sulzener and the swine was raised by Zander Throckmorton.

On Friday night she purchased the Grand Reserve Champion Market Rabbit winner and on Saturday she purchased a swine. The rabbits, (three are exhibited by each 4-H member raising rabbits), will be given to a petting zoo. The swine will be processed and donated to Feeding Medina County.

Joyce and Dan Lloyd at the auction. 

Chris Sulzener with Grand Reserve Champion Market Rabbits

Zander Throckmorton with his swine at the 2014 Medina County Junior Fair Livestock Auction

Joyce proudly displaying her banner for winning the auction for the Grand Reserve Champion Market Rabbits