Office: Lorain County – Lorain County Domestic Relations Court
Age: 54
Residence: Amherst, OH
Email: liswenski@gmail.com
Website: www.swenskiforjudge.com; Facebook.com/lisaswenskiforjudge
Occupation: Judge, Lorain County Domestic Relations Court
Education: J.D. University of Toledo
Work Experience: Judge, Lorain County Common Pleas Court,
Domestic Relations Division
Family: Married 19 years to Zachary Simonoff
Affiliations: N/A
Endorsements: N/A
Bar Association Ratings: Recommended
(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years):
Judge, Lorain County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations
Division, 2013 to present. Domestic & Juvenile Magistrate, Lorain
County Family Court, 2009 (Court was legislated out of existence.)
Juvenile Delinquency Magistrate, Juvenile Detention Home, Lorain
County Domestic Relations Court, 2005-2008
(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a
judge?
Several things about my non-judicial experience qualify me to be not
just a judge, but a good judge: my personal life experiences with
domestic relations law, to wit, a contested custody case after a murder
in my family. I was able to see the good, the bad, and the very ugly parts
of not just the court system but lawyers and litigants in general. I
learned what I would never do as a lawyer or judge to the parties who
are arguably under the most stress that they may ever be under.
Another factor was my experience as a domestic relations lawyer
practicing in the hostile, emotional, high conflict area of domestic
relations for many years before I became a magistrate. I had a rigorous
education and training both in undergrad college as well as in the U.S.
Army Intelligence School and I served in the private sector and for U.S.
government contractors in investigations and security. All of those jobs
required a good grasp of human nature, psychology, and behavior — all
of which suit me well in my job duties as a judge in determining the best
balance between compassion and firmness in any given case. I also
served as a volunteer CASA/GAL when I was a college student at Lorain
County Community College. Finally, my progressive views on juvenile
jurisprudence and mental health, and my absolute unwavering devotion
to due process, basic fundamental fairness, and allowing litigants their
“day in court” qualify me to continue to be the Judge of this Court.
(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I am the most qualified person for this court seat. I have held the seat
since being elected Judge 5 years ago. In that time, I have handled
thousands of domestic cases and juvenile cases. This Judgeship’s
docket is 4/5 domestic relations cases and 1/5 juvenile cases. In the five
years that I’ve been the Domestic Relations Court Judge, I have
brought greater access to the court, a willingness to listen to litigants
and to allow lawyers to put on their cases, true due process and
fundamental fairness and respect to the employees. I was an early
proponent of Mental Health Courts and I preside over the Juvenile
Mental Health Court.
Prior to getting elected Judge in 2012, I was a domestic relations
magistrate handling contested custodies, divorces, spousal support,
and child support cases. I was also a juvenile delinquency magistrate
working at the Lorain County Juvenile Detention Home where I
brought changes that were years ahead of statutory changes and case
law: I refused admissions of delinquent charges by juveniles who did
not have attorneys; I ensured proper court attorney appointments in
these cases that all too often can impact the individual’s adult life; I
refused waivers of counsel from juveniles as they normally are not
knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily given; I conservatively used the
detention home and refused to place borderline juveniles in to DH; I
refused an ill-advised policy to have me – the neutral third party arbiter
of cases – call ICE and notify them of undocumented juveniles as that
was better suited to a prosecutor’s role: I educated juveniles and their
custodians about what the law did and did not allow with “status”
offenders; I ran a court that was well educated with respect to juveniles
and trauma, i.e., what is now known as a trauma-informed court, etc.
Prior to becoming a magistrate, I was a private lawyer who actually
practiced Domestic Relations law, so I bring a practitioner’s perspective
to the bench. Prior to becoming a lawyer, I was a litigant who went
through the system and saw it up close and personal. I simply am the
most qualified candidate.