Office: Summit County Common Pleas Court
Age: 50
Residence: Barberton OH
Email: keepscotstevensonjudge@gmail.com
Website: www.keepscotstevensonjudge.com
Occupation: Judge, Summit County Common Pleas Court
Education: Juris Doctorate, The University of Akron, 1992, Magna Cum Laude; Bachelor of Arts, 1988, The University of Akron
Work Experience: Judge, Summit County Common Pleas Court 2016 to present; Attorney Private Practice 1994 – 2016; Judicial Attorney, Ninth District Court of Appeals 1992 – 1994; Magistrate, Barberton Municipal Court 1996 – 1998; Hearing Officer, State of Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles 1999 – 2007; Magistrate, Cuyahoga Falls Mayor’s Court, 2011 – 2014; Law Director, Twinsburg Township 2011 – 2016
Family: Married, two children, Joshua age 19 and Alex age 16
Affiliations: Board Member, Barberton Salvation Army; Former President and Board Member, Barberton Public Library Board; Former President and Board Member, Akron Law Library Board; Former Commissioner, Barberton Civil Service Commission; Former Member, Summit County Facilities Review Board; Member, Akron Bar Association Foundation; Member, Akron Bar Association; Member, Ohio State Bar Association
Endorsements: Akron Beacon Journal ; Barberton FOP lodge 13
Judicial Experience: Current Judge of the Summit County Common Pleas Court, 2016; Cuyahoga Falls Mayors Court Magistrate, 2011 – 2014; State of Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles Hearing Officer 1999 – 2007; Barberton Municipal Court Magistrate 1996 – 1998
What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
To be an effective judge it is important to have a wide variety of legal and life experience which I exactly what I bring to this court. I ran a very successful legal practice for 23 years. I represented clients in criminal, domestic, probate, juvenile and civil matters at all levels of the judicial system including trial court, appellate court and the Supreme Court of Ohio. My civil practice included virtually every type of civil case that would come before the Court of Common Pleas. Additionally, I have served as representative and guardian for over a hundred people with mental illness. It is this fragile population that is often before the court, and my time representing this population gives me a unique perspective of those most often in the criminal justice system. There is no better training for a Common Pleas Court Judge than handling a large, successful general practice.
I have spent a large percentage of my time volunteering for our community. I was awarded the Community Legal Aid prestigious Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award three times for my work representing low income Summit County residents. I serve on the Salvation Army Board to help ensure that as many resident as possible are served with the basic necessities of life. I have been a strong proponent of life-long education and as such I have served as the President of two separate local libraries. As a father of two sons, I am firmly committed to my family and in setting an example of fairness and respect to them and to the children in my community. To help foster those ideals, I have coached youth soccer and youth baseball for over 15 years. These varied experiences help me bring a wide perspective to the bench that allow me to help dispense justice to the parties that come before the court.
Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I am the current Judge running to keep my seat this fall. I have been preparing myself to serve our community as Judge for 23 years. I ran a successful and varied law practice to gain experience in all types of case that come before the court. I served 14 years as a magistrate, hearing officer and now Judge so I would be prepared to represent the citizens in this position. I served in many volunteer community positions to learn the needs of different groups and individuals to best understand our communities’ needs. Most importantly, my time in private practice representing clients gives me unique insight in to the average citizen’s time in court. Most people do not go to court frequently and are anxious and intimidated when they come to the Court. Often matters can be treated quickly and parties shuffled in and out quickly as their cases are resolved. I have learned that our courts are for our citizens. I have made sure all parties who appear before me are treated with dignity and courtesy. I have served our county well as a judge and I hope to continue to do so in the future.