Fulton County: NAGEL VS. ROBINSON

2/26/2004

Whether Fulton County needs a full-time prosecutor on an annual salary of more than $94,000 or a prosecutor who maintains a private practice and collects less than $53,000 from the county is a key issue in the prosecutor's race.

Roger Nagel, chief assistant prosecuting attorney, wrote in a letter to The Blade,

“I believe the duties and responsibilities of the Fulton County prosecutor requires a full-time prosecutor. If elected, I intend to be a full-time prosecutor and give up my private law practice as a partner in the law firm of Hallet, Hallett & Nagel. I believe this is an important issue that distinguishes my candidacy from that of my opponent.”

Jeff Robinson, law director for Wauseon, said if elected, the prosecutor's job would be his priority and he would give it all the time it required. “You're never not the prosecutor,” he said. But he said he could save the county almost $42,000 a year by maintaining his private practice.

By starting work at 7:30 a.m. and working late when necessary, he said he would have time for both jobs as he said is done in several similar-sized local counties.

Prosecutor William Swigart, who is not running for re-election, does not maintain a private practice and collects the full-time prosecutor's salary.

Mr. Nagel and Mr. Robinson live in Wauseon.

Mr. Nagel's campaign brochure says he has 22 years' experience as assistant prosecuting attorney and has been a partner in Hallet, Hallett & Nagel since 1983. He started private practice in 1974. He is 56.

Mr. Robinson has been city law director since 1989 and was village solicitor in Lyons in the 1980s. He was assistant solicitor for Delta. He was defeated for county prosecutor against Mr. Swigart in 1992.

He was Wauseon's Citizen of the Year last year and has been chairman of the Perry-Krauss Memorial golf tournament. He is 51.