The News-Herald

Election Questionnaire

Date questionnaire completed: _Oct. 6, 2014_______

Office sought: _Lake County Probate Court____

Political party: __Republican_________________

Name: __Judge Mark J. Bartolotta __________________________________________________
Age: __51_____ Date of birth: __12/3/1962
______ Place of birth: __Cleveland, Ohio______
Home address: ____Concord Township________________________________________________
Length of residence in that community: __20+ years____ Twitter: ______________________
Facebook: Retain Judge Mark Bartolotta Campaign Web site: _www.JudgeMarkBartolotta.com____
Occupation: _Judge______________________________ Employer: Lake County Probate Court
Business address: _25 N. Park Place, Painesville, Ohio 44077
Elected office experience: ___Judge of the Lake County Probate Court: Sept. 2013 Present________
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Non-elected office experience (boards, etc.): ______________________________________________
__Chief Assistant Geauga County Prosecutor Criminal Division: Feb. 2013 Sept. 2013___________
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__Assistant Lake County Prosecutor: Sept. 1992 Feb. 2013;_Major Felony Prosecutor; Criminal
Division, Civil Division, Juvenile Division.__________________________________________
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__Private Practice sole practitioner: Nov. 1992 Sept. 2013.___________________
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Education (Please only list schools youve graduated from and list degrees if applicable):
__Cleveland-Marshall College of Law: Juris Doctor, 1992.___________________________
__University of Akron: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Finance Major, 1985.
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Marital status: ___Married 23 years___ Name of spouse: __Suzanne Dill Bartolotta________
Name and age of any children: __Joseph, age 18 ___________________________________________
___________________________Matthew, age 14_________________________________________
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Organizations:
_Ohio Association of Probate Judges; Ohio Judicial Conference; American Judges Association;

__Former member of National District Attorneys Association and Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association;
__Board member of the Lake/Geauga Educational Assistance Foundation (LEAF);__________________
__Lake County Blue Coats; Justinian Forum; Americans of Italian Heritage;__________
__Parishioner of St. Gabriel Church for over 20 years.___________________
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Should you be elected, what are three specific areas youd like to change, address, improve or further
research, and how specifically would you go about it?:
_I will continue my practice of personally visiting nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals in
order to ensure that our senior citizens and other wards of the Court are being properly cared for._I am
revamping the Court's Volunteer Guardian Program by partnering with various county agencies and
organizations in order to develop, train, and utilize a team of people who can step in as court appointed
guardians for those who are unable to care for themselves. I am also working to obtain grant money to
help fund the Program.
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Since becoming Judge, I have been striving to technologically modernize the Court in order to make it
more user friendly. I have updated the Court's website, including the downloaded forms used by parties
in all aspects of probate. I have visited other probate courts in the State in order to research the
possibility of implementing the use of e-filing to help save time and cut costs for those doing business
with the Court. By viewing other court's e-filing programs, I am determining what aspects of these other
programs will work best for us in Lake County.
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_As Probate Court Judge, I am continuously striving to find ways to save taxpayer money while still
maintaining an efficient court. In that effort, I have consolidated positions on the Court staff, thus reducing
expenses. I am always sensitive to the fact that we at the Court are public servants, and as such, must
continue to provide service to the citizens of the county in a fiscally sound and professional manner.
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Whether for past accomplishments or future goals, why should voters elect you?
I am the only candidate with judicial experience in Probate Court. As Probate Court Judge, I am proud to
have earned the only "Highly Recommended" endorsement in this race from the Lake County Bar
Association. This is the highest recommendation that the Bar Association makes. For me, it validates the
job I have been doing since becoming Judge, as it comes from the very attorneys who practice at the

Probate Court. As for past accomplishments, I have served this county as Assistant Lake County
Prosecutor for over twenty years, working in the Criminal, Civil, and Juvenile Divisions. As the Major
Felony Prosecutor, it was my responsibility to prosecute the most dangerous felons in the county. I have
a 100% conviction rate on all murder case I have handled. I also prosecuted the Chardon High School
shooter, resulting in three consecutive life sentences in prison without parole. My experience as a
Prosecutor has allowed me to work directly with senior citizens, children, veterans, and others who have
been victimized and needed my assistance in getting through traumatic experiences in their lives. This
experience helps me to continue to protect families in Lake County as Probate Court Judge.
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NOTE TO CANDIDATES: Please be aware that this questionnaire will be published.