There’s no hiding from his fact sheet.
Except during the 12 years he served with the United States Navy, Roger Bise has lived in Ohio County his entire life. He’s served as a deputy sheriff with the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office for 22 years – for 12 of those years he also served as the police chief of Clearview – and he’s been a county dog warden and humane officer a little more than two years.
Bise has been married to his bride, Heather, for 22 years, he’s the father of three, and he’s “PawPaw” to his adorable granddaughter.
In other words, he knows every nook and cranny of Ohio County and he’s extremely familiar with the residents, as well. Those are two reasons why this public servant has chosen to place his name on the May 14th ballot in hopes of becoming an Ohio County Magistrate, but there are several more.
“The people in Ohio County are terrific, and for the most part, they respect the law,” Bise said. “But there’s also some folks who do not respect the law and that’s when we get into some problems. I’ve had great experiences as a deputy and as someone working for the Ohio County Animal Shelter, but, again, some people are very disrespectful to law enforcement. That’s been my experience.
“There are all walks of life in Ohio County,” he said. “And we have people of all (socio-economic) classes, too, from folks who are fighting to get by to the rich and powerful. But again, when it comes to Magistrate’s Court, it’s about each individual case and each individual person.”
Bise also is aware of the homeless situation in the city of Wheeling and the challenges faced by local non-profits, by law enforcement, and by the local court system, too.
“You can’t let anything go because of the homeless situation, but the bonds have to be set at a level they can afford because that’s in the law,” he explained. “The rule is the bond has to be at a level they can post, so that has to be understood by all, but being homeless does not mean it’s OK to commit crime.
“There are a lot of factors that have to be considered, and that’s why there are a lot of people working on that issue. So, hopefully, we’ll see improvement in the future,” Bise said. “But when a crime is committed, it must be addressed.”
As a deputy sheriff for more than two decades, and now as an on-the-ground employee of Ohio County Animal Control, Bise has become knowledgeable about the different levels in West Virginia’s judicial system.
“I see our Magistrate’s Court as our ‘People’s Court’ because it’s our small-claims and misdemeanor court,” Bise said. “That level also handles domestic violence petitions, evictions, and other civil issues that, unfortunately, we have to handle in our court system.
“But no matter what the issue is, you’ve got to be fair and impartial, of course, and every person should be handled individually,” he said. “As a magistrate, you have to be able to sit there and listen to each individual case and treat each individual as needed as it’s determined by state code. It’s that simple.”
It’s about service, and while that may sound cliché’ to some, it’s the truth when it comes to Bise and his reasons why he’s running for the position.
“There was a day when I realized I would someday retire from being a deputy in our courtrooms in Ohio County, and that’s when I realized I could continue serving the people as a magistrate,” Bise explained. “That’s when I started looking into the position to see if there was something I didn’t know about what a magistrate does in the state of West Virginia.
“My last couple of years as a deputy, I was the permanent bailiff for (Circuit Court) Judge (Michael) Olejasz and I learned a lot about the system during that time,” he added. “I’ve also always researched the law so I could be up to date on the state code, and I look forward to continuing that practice while serving in the people of Ohio County in this position.”
(This article is a part of the advertising package purchased by the candidate.)
