Fitch, Simms running for Greene County judge
Two Waynesburg attorneys are vying for a chance to serve on the bench of the Greene County Court of Common Pleas.
On May 20, Democrat and Republican voters will nominate either Patrick Fitch or Chris Simms in the race to replace Judge Lou Dayish, who opted not to run for retention at the end of his 10-year term.
Fitch, 56, who currently serves as an assistant public defender in Washington County, is running as a Republican. Simms, 39, a partner at Pollock Morris Belletti & Simms, LLC, a Waynesburg law firm, has cross-filed and will appear on both the Democrat and Republican ballots.
Fitch said he would like to reduce the backlog of cases in court, and ensure the fair administration of justice.
“If one is convicted of a crime, they’re going to do the time,” he said.
Simms said he would also look to ensure accountability — on the criminal cases through appropriate sentencing, and on the civil end, by imposing sanctions if people fail to comply with court orders.
As a judge, Simms said, his decisions would be based on the facts and the law, rather than his own beliefs. To make the court system more efficient, Simms said, he would also work to ensure cases are finalized as early as possible.
“As a private attorney, I appreciate the cost of going to court with an attorney, and money shouldn’t preclude people from the opportunity to get the justice they deserve,” he said.
A Waynesburg Central High School and Waynesburg University graduate, Fitch went on to receive his law degree at Ohio Northern University.
Shortly after graduating, he began a 16-year career with the U.S. Secret Service, starting with criminal investigations into areas such as counterfeiting and check fraud. After 9/11, he was assigned to an FBI counterterrorism task force before going on to high-level posts on details in the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, as well as serving in the Secret Service’s Office of Chief Counsel.
Returning to Pennsylvania to spend more time with his family, Fitch began in Greene County’s public defender’s office before becoming an assistant district attorney. In Washington County, he has served as a judicial clerk and in the domestic relations office before taking his current job.
Fitch said he is running for judge to be able to make sure cases are resolved properly. He pointed to his training as a federal investigator in analyzing body language to determine a defendant’s state of mind.
“It’s unfortunate when a defendant says, ‘I want rehabilitation’ and there’s no sincerity behind that, it’s just a ‘get out of jail free’ card, so to speak … as a judge, I want to bring the experience that I have to balance the equation,” he said.
He touted his courtroom experience, including certification to handle cases involving the death penalty.
“I have lived it on the federal level and on the state level here in the county, being an attorney on both sides of the courtroom,” he said. “I think the county needs a judge with experience who can impose a fair sentence.”
A West Greene High School graduate, Simms got a bachelor’s degree at Washington & Jefferson College before receiving his law degree from Duquesne University in 2012.
Knocking on doors after graduation, he landed at the Logan Law Office in Waynesburg, where he began handling criminal defense and Children & Youth Services cases, as well those dealing with mental health and incapacity.
His caseload now includes real estate, oil and gas litigation, estates, and tax assessment appeals. Simms also serves as solicitor for around a dozen governmental bodies in Greene County.
“The people of this county have been very good to me in supporting me and my family and my livelihood, and I want to give something back to our community, and I think that I possess certain unique experiences and characteristics that would make me able to help the county most as a judge,” he said.
Simms said voters should choose him because of his experience within the areas of law that would come before the court.
“Since I’m the candidate that practices law within our county, I know the distinct rules and procedures within our county, and I’m acutely aware of the people and the system and how our system operates, which allows me to be a competent judge from the outset,” he said.