Butler County Court of Common Pleas - Charles L. Pater (R)

1. Which former U.S. president's political philosophy best matches your own?

   Ronald Reagan

2. Which U.S. Supreme Court Justice's legal philosophy best matches your own?

   Scalia

3. Rate your judicial philosophy regarding the U.S. Constitution on a scale of 1-10 with "living/evolving document" being 1 and "strict constructionist" begin a 10.

   10

4. In Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), the U.S. Supreme Court recognized a "right to privacy" under the Constitution that includes abortion. The Constitution does not include this right.

   The Constitution does not contain an absolute right to privacy, but the 4th amendment does set forth "the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures...." It is not apparent that this amendment would have anything to do with the legitimacy of state laws relating to abortion

5. Judges should refrain from "legislating from the bench." The translation of public policy into law and the creation, extension, modification, or limitation of citizens' rights (and governmental authority) are properly within the province of the legislative, not judicial, branch of government.

   I agree that judges should not legislate from the bench, and that our legislatures exist to set forth public policy through enacted laws. Rights, however, are not created by the state, or any branch of its government. When privileges are granted by the state, it should be generally the legislature which does so.

6. An unborn child is biologically human at every stage of his or her biological development, beginning at fertilization.

   Agree

7. The law should be applied to pro-life demonstrators in the same manner is applied to environmental, anti-war and labor demonstrators.

   Agree

8. There is no provision in the current Ohio Constitution intended to require the use of public funds for abortion.

   I decline to answer this question because if someday I sit on the Appeals Court I might be called upon to answer this question in the context of a specific case, and I certainly would not want to recuse myself from deciding it, or be disqualified because of a perceived bias.

9. List all organizations to which you have contributed time or money in the past four years.

   Fairfield Church of Christ
   Pioneer Bible Translators
   International Disaster Emergency Services
   Salvation Army
   Good News Publications
   Cincinnati Christian University
   Butler County Republican Party
   I'm sure there are others but I can't remember names off the top of my head.
   I have donated to a pregnancy counseling center in Oxford, but i can't think of its exact name.