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Toledo Legal News - News Judges of Lucas County

 

Date Published: January 1, 2008

Toledo feels like home to native New Yorker Judge Norman Zemmelman

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

“Do you know the opening line from Anna Karenina? ‘All happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way’. That’s really what we do here.” Judge Norman Zemmelman, the Administrative Judge of Lucas County’s Domestic Relations Court, is a dispute arbitrator, a uniter of people. “Every case is memorable where the parties get together and resolve their problems. Whether it’s through a judge’s involvement, a magistrate’s involvement or court counseling, in Domestic Relations Court, helping people remedy, solving their problems makes cases memorable.”

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

Energetic and committed to kids, Judge Connie Zemmelman shines in Juvenile Court

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

Judge Connie Zemmelman, of the Juvenile Division of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas likes bold, bright colors. This is obvious. You know that about her even before she tells you. You can see it in her lively walk and eyes that shine surprisingly bright.

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

Laconic judge waxes poetic on Churchill and General Sherman

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

In Toledo, the Bankruptcy court is housed in the old, historic Court and Custom House building on Spielbusch Avenue. It sits on the landscape, dominate. It is squat and long, its beige and brown bricks rise up royally from the ground. It’s a quietly beautiful old building, in a style of architecture now only seen in Hollywood period pieces. While in the winter, when the building is capped with snow and the cold pavement walkway leading to the front door is flanked by hard, brittle frosted grass, the Custom House can seem almost Dickensian; in the summertime it’s homey tan coloring contrasts nicely with the greenery that blooms and blossoms around it. On a warm June day the Custom House could almost be an old school building or one of those glitzy, ritzy historic New York hotels scaled down and made appropriate for Toledo. It’s a reassuring thought that a building so lovingly crafted and beautifully built can have stood the test of time

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

Judge Skow: Vietnam; Capital Hill; Toledo - a biography through geography

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

In 1961 then-FCC chairman Newton Minow informed America that to watch television was to, “[observe] a vast wasteland.” While Minow may have been right on as far as many adults were concerned, the young William Skow, known today as the Honorable Judge Skow of the 6th District Court of Appeals would have vehemently disagreed. After all, television not only let him follow his favorite sports teams from his living room in Toledo, it also sparked the Judge's initial interest in politics, and that interest has carried him through political campaigns, a stint in Washington and seats on three different courts.

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

Municipal Court Judge Lynn Schaefer - Tough on crime, cancer

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Star Writer

Municipal Court Judge Lynn Schaefer is strong. You don’t grow up on a farm as the daughter of a single parent without becoming reliable, steady and morally grounded. You don’t long last the grind of a Municipal Court judgeship without having deep personal reservoirs to tap. Doubly so if, like Judge Schaefer, you’ve just recently proved that you’re also stronger than cancer.

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

For Judge Pietrykowski, his family history is a chance to leave his own legacy

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

Appeals Court Judge Mark Pietrykowski is a man with a pedigree. His family is an institution in Toledo. His father was a Federal Magistrate. His uncle served as Clerk of Courts. One great uncle served as Parish Priest to St. Hedwig’s, another was on the city counsel during the 1930’s. Former Toledo Mayor John Carey, is a relative of his. His mother sat on the school board, was a member of the city counsel and served as vice mayor. The first hit when googling the name ‘Pietrykowski’ brings up a web site about the law firm founded by his grandfather.

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

Newly elected to the 6th District Court of Appeals, Judge Osowik is ready for new challenges

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

Recent addition to the 6th District Court of Appeals Judge Osowik met his future bride for the first time while an undergrad at the University of Toledo. Thomas Osowik was introduced by some colleagues of his to a young pharmacy student named Rosemarie. “She was home coming queen and I don't know why she ever dated me,” jokes the Judge.

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

From Vista to Juvenile Court Judge, Denise Navarre-Cubbon is still helping people

Michael A. Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

In Chambers with Judge Navarre-Cubbon

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

Toledo's been great to a judge who first came to town with a coat hanger for a car antenna

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

In chambers with... Judge Frederick McDonald

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

New Muni judge speaks Latin, plays drums

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

In chambers with...

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

Family, neighborhood, teacher & church guided Judge Doneghy

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

Judge Charles J. Doneghy’s father left when he was six. Young Charles was the third of four children. Mom, Bessie, had a high school education. She cleaned houses, took in other families’ clothes and laundered them. At six in the morning she would bundle up with two or three sweaters against the winter cold and make her way to the bus while her children went off to school. In the summer the Doneghy children would stay with their grandfather until Bessie had finished her work for the day.

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

Judge Denise Ann Dartt has blazed many trails

MICHAEL DAVISSON, TOLEDO LEGAL NEWS STAFF WRITER

Common Pleas Judge Denise Dartt has led the life of a trailblazer. She is a pioneer, in many instances a first: first woman to chair the Ohio Judicial Conference; first woman to serve as president of the Ohio Municipal County Judges Association. She was even one of the first women (girl, really) to work a paper route.

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

...And sure enough we got a different lunch lady.

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

Armed with petitions and a willingness to speak up, Judge Stacy Cook is glad to be at Common Pleas

People in the law tend to fall into three categories. There are people who never planned to work in law, people for whom law was just one possible career and people for whom there was never any profession but law. Stacy Cook, a judge in the Common Pleas court, falls squarely into the third category.

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

Judge Christiansen trades drum sticks for gavel

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

A solidly built man who moves with the confidence that comes from possessing a powerful frame, Municipal Court Judge Robert G. Christiansen has the weather beaten looks, cheeks blown raw by the wind and burned red by the sun, of a man who spends plenty of time on a boat. Which, of course, he does. “I'm a boating nut, and anybody who knows me knows that.” And even if you didn't know him, you could guess. In his office hangs paintings by Marblehead resident Ben Richmond depicting light houses and boats being restored by men who love the nautical craft.

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

Music man Judge Byers loves to help people both in, and out, of his courtroom

Michael Davisson, Toledo Legal News Staff Writer

For the past twelve years, Judge Gary Byers, who sits on the Municipal Court Bench in Maumee, has spent his Friday afternoons at Union Elementary School, playing guitar and leading early education sing-alongs. “What's lovely is at that age kids have no inhibitions. If they don't like you, they'll tell you. But if they do like you, they'll run right up and hug you.” Tall enough and built appropriately to play power forward, it's hard not to imagine the school children using the affable, easy-going judge as a human jungle gym. “I'm a big hit with first graders. It goes downhill as they get older.”

Copyright © 2007, Toledo Legal News

10th District judges say proposed real estate transaction lacked any 'meeting of minds'

The 10th District Court of Appeals panel Thursday, January 26th, rejected arguments of Frank Orders that the common pleas court should not have allowed Huntington National Bank to add Thirty-Seven Corporation as the defendant and dismiss itself from the lawsuit, and that the court was wrong to grant summary judgment in favor of the corporation.

Date Published: February 6, 2012

10th District rejects claim of false imprisonment

A 10th District Court of Appeals panel recently rejected a former Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction inmate's arguments that he was falsely imprisoned.

Date Published: February 6, 2012

Clerk of Court’s Court Cost Collection Program Proving Successful

J. Bernie Quilter, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas in partnership with the State of Ohio Attorney General’s Office established a program whereby the Clerk of Courts has been able to aggressively pursue and return delinquent mandated fees to Lucas County by utilizing the vast resources of the Ohio Attorney General’s office. The Court Cost Collection program was begun in 2008 and has since returned almost $ 500,000 in delinquent fees to Lucas County. These mandated fees are costs associated with cases decided in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas.

Date Published: February 7, 2012

February disciplinary hearings announced

The following schedule of cases is set for hearings by the Supreme Court’s Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline in February. All hearings take place before a three-member panel of the board and are open to the public. The hearings involve an individual attorney or judge who is charged with professional misconduct.

Date Published: February 6, 2012

Hylant Group announces strategy for corporate restructure

Hylant Group, one of the largest privately held insurance brokerage firms in the United States, has announced a corporate restructuring strategy that will streamline operations and capitalize on the core strengths of its executive management team. This strategy will enable and position Hylant to deliver consistent world class service and resources across all operations and to their clients.

Date Published: February 8, 2012

Supreme Court Law Library display honors Black History Month

Although Ohio was a free state in the 1800s, the state’s treatment of African Americans trying to build a new life was anything but free. In recognition of Black History Month, the Supreme Court of Ohio Law Library, for the first time, is displaying items from that piece of Ohio’s history.

Date Published: February 8, 2012