Early voting is in full swing for the May primary and there are a few contested races in Logan County on the Republican ticket. Two candidates are seeking the seat for Bellefontaine Municipal Court Judge. The candidates are Jacob Estes and Crystal Welsh. The winner will be the next judge because they will not face opposition in the fall election. Both candidates shared some information about themselves ahead of the election.
Both candidates submitted their information for this story. We decided to go in alphabetical order making Mr. Estes up first.
Mr. Estes has resided in Logan County for the past twenty-two years and will celebrate twenty-four years of marriage this summer with Jennifer (Boy) Estes. They have two daughters and a son.
Estes earned his Associate of Applied Science in Corrections at Lima Technical College and graduated with honors from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. He graduated with honors from Capital University Law School in 2013.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Estes served the Logan County Juvenile Court as a Probation Officer (2001 to 2003) and was a Parole Officer for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (2003 to 2013).
Upon completing his law degree and passing the bar exam, Mr. Estes joined the MacGillivray Law Firm (2014) and eventually partnered with attorney Linda MacGillivray and formed MacGillivray & Estes, LLP. Mr. Estes continues to serve Logan and surrounding counties in the areas of criminal, family and probate law.
In addition to his busy law practice, Mr. Estes has served as a Lecturer for The Ohio State University for the past nine years. Mr. Estes has taught a course with Urbana University and Bluffton College and will be teaching a course this spring through Sinclair Community College at the Ohio Reformatory for Women.
Mr. Estes is Vice President of the Logan County Bar Association and the Logan County Children’s Services Board. He has coached youth sports in Logan County for many years and his family are active members of Bellefontaine Grace Church.
Ms. Welsh started out working small jobs, babysitting, an ice cream store, third shift at a gas station, Build a Bear Workshop, jewelry store, a cell phone company and then moved on to being a social worker for children services.
She was a Social Worker for the Lake County Department of Job and Family Services for almost ten years. Through her employment she interacted with people from all walks of life and a wide variety of professional positions. Welsh says she was able to gain perspective on the different problems and environments that people face while at the same time hold them accountable for their actions and choices.
She began her law school journey through the part-time evening program at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and used her time management skills to continue to work full-time through most of her education.
After becoming an attorney, Welsh worked in private practice for estate planning and underwriting personal injury cases before working for the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office. While at the county, she was adaptable to different roles and positions ranging from making charging decisions, taking cases to grand jury as well as handling trials and effectively communicating with attorneys and pro se litigants to ensure upmost efficiency. Welsh was promoted to the Juvenile Division Supervisor after only a year of employment where she managed not only other attorneys, but also administrative staff.
Welsh also grades essays for Barbri, which is the law school education program to help students prepare for the bar exam.
She has enjoyed serving Logan County for the last three plus years as the City Prosecutor with the Bellefontaine Municipal Court. She feels well versed in the types of cases that the court receives and the inner workings of the Court. She handles all criminal and traffic matters that come before the Court. Welsh is efficient with the Court’s time, prepares for all cases and hearings and manages a full docket while still addressing law enforcement questions, reviews reports for charges, handles any appeals as well as offering guidance and supervision to other departments and staff within the Court.
Welsh is a part of the CORE legal/advocacy committee, the Logan County Bar Association, Logan County Republican Party, Logan County Cattle Association and Women United Way.
Welsh sees the role of Bellefontaine Municipal Court Judge involving a variety of different roles. The position demands a steady knowledge of the ever-changing laws and rules in the State of Ohio, and it requires a fast-paced efficient docket in order to address all the cases that come before the Court. She says she would be prepared for all cases, would be fair and impartial and would make decisions based upon the law and the facts of each case, and would dispense justice with integrity.
Ms. Welsh states her academic and professional training, combined with her passion and dedication, make her the ideal candidate for Municipal Court Judge.
Early voting continues at the Logan County Board of Elections Office on South Main Street in Bellefontaine. Click here for early voting hours.
