Collins, McGuire-Haines vie for prosecutor's position
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
Independent candidate Kim McGuire-Haines has filed to run against Republican Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins in the November General Election.
Haines, of the Rocky Fork Lake Area, filed her petitions last week with the Highland County Board of Elections. Independent candidates had until March 5 to file to be on the November ballot.
Both Collins and Haines told The Highland County Press that they have a vested interest in the future of Highland County.
Anneka Collins
Collins was appointed prosecutor by the Central Committee of the Highland County Republican Party on June 15. Former Prosecutor Jim Grandey retired from the office in May.
After she was hired as an Assistant Highland County Prosecutor in 2006, Collins said that it took her less than a week to realize that she had found her true passion, and that she would one day run for the office herself.
"I knew it the first week I was here," Collins said. "I loved it. I would come in on my days off to do paperwork and discovery, just to learn how to do things. I just had a passion for it, and I wanted to learn everything as quickly as I could. I would learn everything about a case so they would need me to help try it."
Collins grew up in Highland County, attending Greenfield Schools until she was a freshman. She then attended Hillsboro High School, graduating in 1997.
"Everything I did was always in preparation to go to law school," Collins said.
She graduated from the Ohio State University in just over two years, and then came back to Highland County and worked for the Highland County Probation Department. She then attended the University of Dayton Law School, graduating and passing the bar exam in 2005.
Collins is a member of the Marshall Church of Christ, where she teaches Sunday School, and a is a member of the Republican Central Committee, representing Paint Township north. She and her husband, Josh, have two young daughters.
Collins said that she does not try to distance herself from the cases. Instead, she tries to embrace the emotions the cases can evoke, empathizing with victims, to get their story across to the jury.
"I'm empathetic and sympathetic. I question victims better because I understand how they feel, and then I can portray how they feel to the jury," Collins said. "We're a lot more victim focused. We don't present an offer unless the victim and the (investigating) officer approves it, both in
juvenile and felony court."
Collins said that law enforcement officers soon saw that she wanted to put in extra time, and began requesting to Grandey that she be put on a case.
"I have a lot of attention for detail," she said. "I don't think there is anything more important than coming to court prepared. I learned that quickly practicing in front of (Highland County Juvenile and Probate Court) Judge (Kevin) Greer."
When she first started working at the prosecutor's office, there were multiple attorneys and each typically had an assigned area, such as felony court, juvenile court, or Highland County Court in Greenfield. As a decrease in funding forced cutbacks, Collins said that her responsibilities grew so that she was trying felony cases, juvenile court cases, writing appeals, and doing research for civil matters.
"I loved working in juvenile court. In juvenile court, you can really make a difference with a kid," Collins said. "Judge Greer taught me that, and I absolutely agree."
When Grandey announced his retirement, Collins said that she applied for the central committee's appointment to the office, and worked hard to prove the she was deserving of the appointment. If elected prosecutor, she said she will continue to work for the people of Highland County.
"In my first six months in the office, the average number of years (defendants were sentenced to) went from 8.2 years to 13.11 years in prison," Collins said. "I tried to be tougher, I worked hard, we have a judge (Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss) that sentences that way, and I enjoy trying cases. I'm not going to plea cases down. I'll just go to trial."
Collins gives lots of credit to the members of her staff, saying that they have risen to the tasks before them. With one assistant prosecutor, Molly Bolek, Collins said that the entire staff pitches in to keep the office organized and running on schedule.
"Before Molly or I present a case to the grand jury, it has to be perfect," Collins said. "It has to be ready to go to trial within 30 days. On average, there are only 147 days between sentencing and arraignment (in Highland County Common Pleas Court). I doubt that any other common pleas court in Ohio moves that quickly. The case has to be perfect.
We can't be checking on an alibi or waiting for drug results. We have to be 100-percent prepared and have the ready before it's presented to the grand jury. We may indict less, but the cases are better. I think it's important to know that felony law, especially, has changed substantially [In particular with the new sentencing guidelines that went into effect in September 2011 as a result of Ohio House Bill 86]. If you don't practice that every single day, it is hard to keep up with those changes."
In addition to the criminal prosecution, the Highland County prosecutor is also the legal counsel for the townships, and all county agencies, such as the county commissioners, and the Highland County Fair Board.
"I have a very serious dedication to Highland County," Collins said. "My heart is here, and I am 100-percent dedicated to this county. I want to make this a better place. I want my kids to grow up here, and then to raise their kids here. I know how awesome this county is. We saw that when we were collecting toys for kids at Christmas. I never a saw a group of people come
together so fast. I still wake up every day excited to go to work, and excited that this is my job."
Kimberly McGuire-Haines
• Kimberly McGuire-Haines said that she fell in love with Highland County as a child when she used to visit her grandparents here during the summer.
"I was born and raised in Michigan, but my mom is from Chillicothe, and my grandparents had a cottage in the Rocky Fork Lake area," Haines said. "I've been coming here my entire life. My parents bought Joey's Pizza 20 years ago, and retired down here, so I always dreamed of living here. I moved to Ohio in 1996, the day after I graduated from law school."
Haines attended the Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, graduating in 1996. She works as a general practice attorney on civil, domestic, criminal, personal injury and juvenile cases. She has worked as an assistant Highland County prosecutor under former prosecutor Jim Grandey, and in the prosecutor's office in Fayette County. She has taught at Southern State Community College, been the solicitor for the city of Greenfield, and worked as a public defender in Franklin and Clark counties.
"I have been a lawyer for more than 15 years, and I have spent 10 of those 15 years in Highland County," Haines said. "I was the assistant county prosecutor for Jim Grandey, and the only reason I didn't stay was because my children were babies, and the time wasn't right. When you do defense work, you can customize your schedule. But now, the time is right (to return to
the prosecutor's office)."
Haines and her husband, Wesley, have four children. She has been a member of the Rocky Fork Lake Community Alliance, the Rainsboro Elementary School PTO, member of the Civil Air Patrol United States Air Force Auxiliary, and a Brownie and Junior Girl Scout leader.
"I know I have the required experience to do the job," she said. "I have a lot of trial experience. I have worked with a lot of attorneys, and I have been on both sides. I know what the defense attorneys want and can anticipate how they will build their case. I know I am more than qualified.
"I would be very fair when it came to deciding who to prosecute, what charges to file. I am very assertive and aggressive in the courtroom and want to succeed in cases. I know that my assertiveness in the courtroom is what we need."
Giving back to the community, and setting an example of service for her children is something that is important to Haines.
"I am passionate. I am very organized, and I am a go-getter," Haines said. "We have a really vested interest in this community. We chose to raise our children in Highland County. We are proud to live here, and just because times are tough, I don't want to see crime overcome our community. We are in it for the long haul. I have a passion for helping people, and I truly want
to live a life of service.
"I believe that the only true happiness is the happiness you get from helping others. My husband is in the Air Force and has done three tours in the War on Terror since 9/11. We just believe that if you want the world to be a better place, you need to start by making your community a better place."
Because of her family's dedication to a life of service, Haines said she wants to take a stand against the crime and rising drug problems currently facing Highland County.
"If I don't like how things are going, and I'm not happy with with the situation, I can't just sit around and complain about it," Haines said. "I have to do my part as a citizen. I am energetic, and I am doing it for the right reasons. We have a lot of crime right now in Greenfield. When I first moved here, I lived in Greenfield, and was the Greenfield solicitor.
"Now, my sister is a teacher and just bought a home over there. It's sad to see that crime is on the rise, but I refuse to stand by and do nothing. You can't just sell your home and leave. Nor should you have to. I say that is unacceptable, and that this is not going to be a haven for
drugs. It disgusts me. I am not going to sit around complain when I am qualified to do something about it. We as citizens, together, can keep Highland County safe and strong."
Highland County has a bright future, Haines said, and she wants to be a part of the area's future growth and success.
"I see many new and exciting things happening in Highland County," she said. "In order to help our county survive and grow, we have to get the level of crime down. I know that with the many budget cuts the local law enforcement agencies are strapped, and doing the best that they can with the resources that they have.
"That’s why it is important to have an experienced, capable prosecutor who can work with all of the law enforcement agencies to effectively fight crime in our community. I want to embrace the future, while preserving the past and the rich history of our community.
"I love all of the old homes, buildings and businesses, and the history surrounding them. I want to preserve that, while moving forward and seeing our county become strong and prosperous. I know that times are tough and that sometimes it may seem like the crime and drugs are taking over. However, I refuse to give up and allow it to take over our community. My husband and I, like all of our neighbors in Highland County, have chosen to make our lives in Highland County, and to raise our children here. Many residents have also chosen to live here after retirement. I know that my parents will also remain here if and when they ever retire. I refuse to stand by and watch homeowners be afraid in their own homes, or to worry that if they go to town that their house will be broken into."
Haines said that she looks forward to rising to the challenges of the prosecutor's office.
"I have the experience as an attorney, and I possess the drive and dedication to make this community a better place as the next Highland County prosecutor."[[In-content Ad]]
Haines, of the Rocky Fork Lake Area, filed her petitions last week with the Highland County Board of Elections. Independent candidates had until March 5 to file to be on the November ballot.
Both Collins and Haines told The Highland County Press that they have a vested interest in the future of Highland County.
Anneka Collins
Collins was appointed prosecutor by the Central Committee of the Highland County Republican Party on June 15. Former Prosecutor Jim Grandey retired from the office in May.
After she was hired as an Assistant Highland County Prosecutor in 2006, Collins said that it took her less than a week to realize that she had found her true passion, and that she would one day run for the office herself.
"I knew it the first week I was here," Collins said. "I loved it. I would come in on my days off to do paperwork and discovery, just to learn how to do things. I just had a passion for it, and I wanted to learn everything as quickly as I could. I would learn everything about a case so they would need me to help try it."
Collins grew up in Highland County, attending Greenfield Schools until she was a freshman. She then attended Hillsboro High School, graduating in 1997.
"Everything I did was always in preparation to go to law school," Collins said.
She graduated from the Ohio State University in just over two years, and then came back to Highland County and worked for the Highland County Probation Department. She then attended the University of Dayton Law School, graduating and passing the bar exam in 2005.
Collins is a member of the Marshall Church of Christ, where she teaches Sunday School, and a is a member of the Republican Central Committee, representing Paint Township north. She and her husband, Josh, have two young daughters.
Collins said that she does not try to distance herself from the cases. Instead, she tries to embrace the emotions the cases can evoke, empathizing with victims, to get their story across to the jury.
"I'm empathetic and sympathetic. I question victims better because I understand how they feel, and then I can portray how they feel to the jury," Collins said. "We're a lot more victim focused. We don't present an offer unless the victim and the (investigating) officer approves it, both in
juvenile and felony court."
Collins said that law enforcement officers soon saw that she wanted to put in extra time, and began requesting to Grandey that she be put on a case.
"I have a lot of attention for detail," she said. "I don't think there is anything more important than coming to court prepared. I learned that quickly practicing in front of (Highland County Juvenile and Probate Court) Judge (Kevin) Greer."
When she first started working at the prosecutor's office, there were multiple attorneys and each typically had an assigned area, such as felony court, juvenile court, or Highland County Court in Greenfield. As a decrease in funding forced cutbacks, Collins said that her responsibilities grew so that she was trying felony cases, juvenile court cases, writing appeals, and doing research for civil matters.
"I loved working in juvenile court. In juvenile court, you can really make a difference with a kid," Collins said. "Judge Greer taught me that, and I absolutely agree."
When Grandey announced his retirement, Collins said that she applied for the central committee's appointment to the office, and worked hard to prove the she was deserving of the appointment. If elected prosecutor, she said she will continue to work for the people of Highland County.
"In my first six months in the office, the average number of years (defendants were sentenced to) went from 8.2 years to 13.11 years in prison," Collins said. "I tried to be tougher, I worked hard, we have a judge (Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss) that sentences that way, and I enjoy trying cases. I'm not going to plea cases down. I'll just go to trial."
Collins gives lots of credit to the members of her staff, saying that they have risen to the tasks before them. With one assistant prosecutor, Molly Bolek, Collins said that the entire staff pitches in to keep the office organized and running on schedule.
"Before Molly or I present a case to the grand jury, it has to be perfect," Collins said. "It has to be ready to go to trial within 30 days. On average, there are only 147 days between sentencing and arraignment (in Highland County Common Pleas Court). I doubt that any other common pleas court in Ohio moves that quickly. The case has to be perfect.
We can't be checking on an alibi or waiting for drug results. We have to be 100-percent prepared and have the ready before it's presented to the grand jury. We may indict less, but the cases are better. I think it's important to know that felony law, especially, has changed substantially [In particular with the new sentencing guidelines that went into effect in September 2011 as a result of Ohio House Bill 86]. If you don't practice that every single day, it is hard to keep up with those changes."
In addition to the criminal prosecution, the Highland County prosecutor is also the legal counsel for the townships, and all county agencies, such as the county commissioners, and the Highland County Fair Board.
"I have a very serious dedication to Highland County," Collins said. "My heart is here, and I am 100-percent dedicated to this county. I want to make this a better place. I want my kids to grow up here, and then to raise their kids here. I know how awesome this county is. We saw that when we were collecting toys for kids at Christmas. I never a saw a group of people come
together so fast. I still wake up every day excited to go to work, and excited that this is my job."
Kimberly McGuire-Haines
• Kimberly McGuire-Haines said that she fell in love with Highland County as a child when she used to visit her grandparents here during the summer.
"I was born and raised in Michigan, but my mom is from Chillicothe, and my grandparents had a cottage in the Rocky Fork Lake area," Haines said. "I've been coming here my entire life. My parents bought Joey's Pizza 20 years ago, and retired down here, so I always dreamed of living here. I moved to Ohio in 1996, the day after I graduated from law school."
Haines attended the Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, graduating in 1996. She works as a general practice attorney on civil, domestic, criminal, personal injury and juvenile cases. She has worked as an assistant Highland County prosecutor under former prosecutor Jim Grandey, and in the prosecutor's office in Fayette County. She has taught at Southern State Community College, been the solicitor for the city of Greenfield, and worked as a public defender in Franklin and Clark counties.
"I have been a lawyer for more than 15 years, and I have spent 10 of those 15 years in Highland County," Haines said. "I was the assistant county prosecutor for Jim Grandey, and the only reason I didn't stay was because my children were babies, and the time wasn't right. When you do defense work, you can customize your schedule. But now, the time is right (to return to
the prosecutor's office)."
Haines and her husband, Wesley, have four children. She has been a member of the Rocky Fork Lake Community Alliance, the Rainsboro Elementary School PTO, member of the Civil Air Patrol United States Air Force Auxiliary, and a Brownie and Junior Girl Scout leader.
"I know I have the required experience to do the job," she said. "I have a lot of trial experience. I have worked with a lot of attorneys, and I have been on both sides. I know what the defense attorneys want and can anticipate how they will build their case. I know I am more than qualified.
"I would be very fair when it came to deciding who to prosecute, what charges to file. I am very assertive and aggressive in the courtroom and want to succeed in cases. I know that my assertiveness in the courtroom is what we need."
Giving back to the community, and setting an example of service for her children is something that is important to Haines.
"I am passionate. I am very organized, and I am a go-getter," Haines said. "We have a really vested interest in this community. We chose to raise our children in Highland County. We are proud to live here, and just because times are tough, I don't want to see crime overcome our community. We are in it for the long haul. I have a passion for helping people, and I truly want
to live a life of service.
"I believe that the only true happiness is the happiness you get from helping others. My husband is in the Air Force and has done three tours in the War on Terror since 9/11. We just believe that if you want the world to be a better place, you need to start by making your community a better place."
Because of her family's dedication to a life of service, Haines said she wants to take a stand against the crime and rising drug problems currently facing Highland County.
"If I don't like how things are going, and I'm not happy with with the situation, I can't just sit around and complain about it," Haines said. "I have to do my part as a citizen. I am energetic, and I am doing it for the right reasons. We have a lot of crime right now in Greenfield. When I first moved here, I lived in Greenfield, and was the Greenfield solicitor.
"Now, my sister is a teacher and just bought a home over there. It's sad to see that crime is on the rise, but I refuse to stand by and do nothing. You can't just sell your home and leave. Nor should you have to. I say that is unacceptable, and that this is not going to be a haven for
drugs. It disgusts me. I am not going to sit around complain when I am qualified to do something about it. We as citizens, together, can keep Highland County safe and strong."
Highland County has a bright future, Haines said, and she wants to be a part of the area's future growth and success.
"I see many new and exciting things happening in Highland County," she said. "In order to help our county survive and grow, we have to get the level of crime down. I know that with the many budget cuts the local law enforcement agencies are strapped, and doing the best that they can with the resources that they have.
"That’s why it is important to have an experienced, capable prosecutor who can work with all of the law enforcement agencies to effectively fight crime in our community. I want to embrace the future, while preserving the past and the rich history of our community.
"I love all of the old homes, buildings and businesses, and the history surrounding them. I want to preserve that, while moving forward and seeing our county become strong and prosperous. I know that times are tough and that sometimes it may seem like the crime and drugs are taking over. However, I refuse to give up and allow it to take over our community. My husband and I, like all of our neighbors in Highland County, have chosen to make our lives in Highland County, and to raise our children here. Many residents have also chosen to live here after retirement. I know that my parents will also remain here if and when they ever retire. I refuse to stand by and watch homeowners be afraid in their own homes, or to worry that if they go to town that their house will be broken into."
Haines said that she looks forward to rising to the challenges of the prosecutor's office.
"I have the experience as an attorney, and I possess the drive and dedication to make this community a better place as the next Highland County prosecutor."[[In-content Ad]]