HAMILTON — The Butler County Bar Association rated Timothy Evans the most qualified among five candidates for a new Common Pleas judge's seat.

        It also gave Ronald Craft the highest rating among four candidates for the new Juvenile Court judicial seat.

        Both judicial races are on the ballot for Butler's May 7 primary election. The bar association released its ratings Tuesday.

        In the Juvenile Court race, the association gave “not recommended” ratings to Terri King and Richard Hurchanik and a “recommended” rating to James C. Shew.

        Mr. Shew is the only Democrat in the race.

        The “not recommended” rating means that the association doesn't believe the two candidates are qualified for that particular seat, said Don Crain, bar association president. Therating doesn't mean they're not good attorneys or that they're not qualified for other judicial posts, he said.

        Ms. King and Mr. Hurchanik could not be reached for comment.

        Joe Statzer, political director for the Butler County Republican Party, said the bar association's high rating for Mr. Craft validates the party's endorsement of him.

        In the Common Pleas judge's race, the bar association awarded a “recommended” rating to Gary Kaup and Charles Pater and gave Daniel Warncke and J. Farrell Goodman a “not rated.”

        Mr. Goodman is the only Democrat running for this judicial seat. The other four are Republicans.

        Mr. Goodman and Mr. Warncke were not rated because the bar association didn't have enough information about them, Mr. Crain said.

        “That's not a negative,” he said. “It's just that you can't rate someone you don't know.”

        Both of those attorneys do a lot of legal work outside Butler County.

        The Republican Party endorsed none of the candidates in the Common Pleas race.

        Mr. Statzer said that even though Mr. Evans received the highest rating, “that race is wide open ... all four candidates are qualified and acceptable.”

        Members of the bar association were asked to rate all candidates by their legal abilities, education, experience, temperament, promptness, diligence, honesty and character.

        Of the bar association's 370 members, 120 participated in the ratings.

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