An Interview with Erin Sizemore, Candidate for District Court Judge
I recently had the opportunity to interview Lexington native, Erin Sizemore, about HER UPCOMING election for District Court Judge in Campbell County, Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati. Erin is a judicial candidate, prosecutor, wife, mother of three, and Lexington native.
Tell me a bit about your career background.
I began my career as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Lexington, Kentucky, working for one of the state’s most respected and experienced prosecutors, Ray Larson. I worked for Ray for about three years, handling numerous felony cases and workingextensively on restitution matters and drug offense cases and statistics. Thereafter, I moved to Fairfax, Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC to be closer to my soon-to-be husband, who is also an attorney. While in Fairfax, I took a position as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney. Fairfax is one of the more populous jurisdictions in the country, so I was in court every day handling everything from traffic violations, misdemeanor offenses, juvenile and domestic relations issues all the way up to felony offenses. In 2015, my husband and I moved back to our “Old Kentucky Home” and settled in Fort Thomas, where my husband’s family has lived for over seventy years. I took a position as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Campbell County, handling numerous felony cases and working extensively on the Rocket Docket program – a streamlined system for people charged with Drug Possession to quickly get into treatment programs, which also saved the county millions of dollars in jail fees and court costs. In 2021, I had the opportunity to join the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, another high-volume jurisdiction, and I currently serve as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Juvenile Division.
2. What are the main responsibilities of a District Court Judge?
District Court Judges in Kentucky handle a wide variety of matters including issuing search warrants, presiding over misdemeanor cases from beginning to end, presiding over dependency, neglect, and abuse cases, issuing emergency protective orders and temporary interpersonal protective orders, presiding over juvenile cases, guardianship cases, evictions, Casey’s Law petitions, and all civil cases under $5,000. In total, I believe District Court judges in Campbell County generally handle close to 10,000 cases per year.
3. What made you decide to run for this position?
It just felt right. Given my experience working in multiple high-volume jurisdictions across the country and the state, I felt compelled to serve the citizens of Campbell County in this way. I have significant experience handling almost every type of case that comes through District Court. I have worked extensively with law enforcement, often from the beginning of an investigation to a final conviction. My husband and I love Kentucky, and this was an opportunity to continue my long track record of public service to the Commonwealth. Additionally, I feel honored to run for this seat in particular, as the retiring judge, Karen Thomas, was the first female judge in Campbell County.
4. Who is someone who has had a positive impact on your career?
Ray Larson, my first boss, and the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Lexington for nearly forty years was a great mentor of mine. He was tough, and if you messed up he’d let you know. But at the same time, he was incredibly loyal to his employees and truly cared about the people who worked for him. When I first started working for him I remember him telling me the importance of a lawyer’s reputation for fair dealing and honesty and that no case was ever worth risking your reputation. That has always stuck with me. Ray also emphasized the importance of treating everyone with respect. That’s very important to me as well.. How you treat people really makes a difference.
5. Do you have any funny stories you can share from your time as a prosecutor?
One of my favorite stories as a prosecutor was when I was prosecuting a misdemeanor theft case in Virginia. The defendant was charged with stealing a very distinctive t-shirt from a store at the mall. The defendant then came to court wearing the stolen t-shirt. The defense attorney quickly asked the judge for a continuance, while at the same time the detective was rapidly taking photos of the defendant wearing the stolen shirt. That case was definitely unforgettable!
6. In your view, what is the most important aspect of being a judge?
The most important duty of a judge is to follow the law and the main goal of the court system is to achieve justice. Even if a judge may personally disagree with the law or dislike the outcome, their first duty is to uphold the law. When judges legislate from the bench, they can create disparate outcomes for similar cases.
7. How do you manage your time between working, being a mom, and running for judge?
It’s truly a privilege to be a mom to three precious children. In fact, I think being a mom makes me more diligent in my work – it eliminates time for procrastination and forces me to be efficient because I know that three little people are counting on me when I come home. William, our youngest, was recently born on June 27, and I have been amazed at the amount of support from friends and the community. Yes, I was busy campaigning eight months pregnant, had a baby, and am back to hitting the campaign trail! I’ve always had a “can-do-it” mindset and this campaign is no exception. I’m blessed to have a very supportive network of family and friends, and I feel privileged for my girls to see their mom pursuing big goals.
