Office: Franklin County Municipal Court
Age: 44
Residence: New Albany, OH
Email: judgejodithomas@gmail.com
Website:
https://www.judgejodithomas.com
https://www.facebook.com/judgejodithomas/
twitter: @judgejodithomas
Occupation: Municipal Court Judge
Education: J.D. from Capital University; Bachelor of Science in Social Work from The Ohio State University; License in Social Work
Work Experience: April 2016-Present Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court; 2002-2016 Staff Attorney for the Franklin County Public Defender’s Office; 2013-2016 Lead Attorney from the Public Defender’s for the Franklin County Specialized Dockets (Opiate Extension Program, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Program, Mental Health Court, and the Military and Veterans Service Program)
Family: Married with two daughters (Ages 11 and 15)
Affiliations: Life-long Member of Temple Israel; 2011-2016 Secretary and Vice President of Harrison Pond Homeowners Association; 2016-Present Ohio Judicial Conference committee member on Specialized Dockets
Endorsements: The Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9; Local 67 Columbus International Association of FireFighters; Central Ohio Labor Council AFL-CIO; Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades; Teamsters Local 413; A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI); Coalition of Black Trade Unionist (CBTU); The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW); Teamsters Local 284; Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 189; AFSCME Ohio Council 8; AFSCME Retiree Chapter 1184; Franklin County Council of Education Associations; Columbus Education Association; National Association of Social Workers
Bar Association Ratings:
Highly Recommended, by the Columbus Bar Association Judicial Screening Committee; Highly Recommended by the Central Ohio Association of Justice
(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years):
I am currently serving as a Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court since April 2016. I am hearing an average of 50-75 criminal cases a day involving charges such as domestic violence, drunk driving, theft, soliciting, drug possession, and various traffic violations. In addition, I carry a civil docket with cases that involve landlord and tenant disputes, debt collection, personal injury and breach of contract. I rotate with the other Judges in the arraignment courts setting bonds on misdemeanor and felony cases, and I review search warrants and subpoenas for law enforcement. Additionally, I serve on our courts judicial personnel committee, the probation committee, specialty docket committee, and security committee. I am also the presiding Judge over the h.a.r.t. Program (Helping Achieve Recovery Together). This is the opiate specific drug court specialized docket where I oversee the status review hearings and group discussions. Further, I am the back-up Judge to the CATCH program (Changing Actions to Change Habits), which is the human trafficking specialized docket.
(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
My legal career began 17 years ago as a staff attorney for the Franklin County Public Defender’s Office. I was there until taking the bench in April of 2016. As a defense attorney, my role was to zealously advocate for my client. I have represented thousands of people using a practice style that not only protected their rights, but also tried to put them on a better path in life. I worked with individuals that were charged with crimes such as domestic violence, drunk driving, drug possession, soliciting, theft and various traffic violations. It was my job to advocate for these people to the best of my abilities, and to do so in an ethical way no matter the crime or my own beliefs. I would take this responsibility a step further by not only resolving the case in a legal sense, but also providing resources to my clients that help them become productive citizens of our community. I spent the last several years of my practice as the lead attorney in the Franklin County Specialized Dockets. I monitored my clients daily as they would work to complete a two year program that held them accountable for their actions, but also provided them with appropriate treatment services. My effort and commitment to understanding the nature of addiction and mental health, and how it impacts criminal behavior, helped me better advocate for my clients and led to recognition in the community. I was chosen twice by the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County as Attorney of the year for my work in Mental Health Court and the Opiate Extension Program. I received the Excellent Service Award by the Military and Veterans Service Program. I received the Model of Justice Award from the Justice League of Ohio for my work with victims of human trafficking. I was also selected for induction into the Gahanna Lincoln High School Hall of Fame. I was nominated for this honor because of the time I spent giving back to the community and my ongoing support for those in need.
(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I have spent the last 17 years practicing in the Franklin County Municipal Court which is the same court where I am currently serving as a Judge. My background and experiences working with victims of human trafficking, those suffering from drug addiction and/or mental health disorders, and veterans, prepared me for exactly where I am today. I want to continue to use these tools that I have obtained and apply them to this position. Working in the specialized dockets, I frequently witnessed the powerful role that a judge can play in improving the lives of individuals, while simultaneously improving the safety of our community. I feel I am doing just that in the way I handle the cases that come before me. I understand that a one size fits all approach is not the best way to reduce recidivism. I am constantly researching and visiting facilities and treatment options, I take advantage of the resources through our probation department like SCRAM (alcohol monitoring device), GPS tracking, and work release, and I also hold individuals accountable for their actions. Over 400 attorneys participated in a judicial performance poll with the Columbus Bar Association this year. I was honored to learn that I was ranked #1 receiving high ratings in all the areas including judicial temperament, objectivity, legal knowledge, sentencing, quality of opinions, and timeliness (www.cbalaw.org). I work hard each day to examine each case and apply a sentence that is appropriate both for the needs of that individual and the overall safety of the community. I maintain an efficient courtroom and I am accessible and available to attorneys and court personnel. The civil docket is definitely a new area for me, but I jumped right in to learning the cases and presiding over court trials. I am constantly learning and working to be the best judge that I can be. One of my goals will always be for litigants to leave the courtroom believing as though they were treated with dignity and respect, even if they do not agree with the outcome. I am honored to serve the citizens of Franklin County and I would like to be re-elected to the full term this November.