Office:
Franklin County Municipal Court
Age: 62
Residence: Columbus, OH
Email: reelectjudgesalerno@gmail.com
Website: www.Reelectjudgeamysalerno.com
https://www.facebook.com/JudgeSalerno
twitter.com/judgesalerno
Occupation: Franklin County Municipal Court Judge since 2005
Education: B.A. Youngstown State University, summa cum laude; J.D. Moritz College of Law, The Ohio State University
Work Experience: Judge in Franklin County Municipal Court since 2005; Private practice (solo practitioner) from 1982-1995 & 2002-2005; Of counsel Teaford, Rich, Wheeler & Coffman from 1997-2002; Ohio House of Representatives from 1995-2002; Partnership with Michelle Shuster 1995-1997; Administrative Law Judge for State Personnel Board of Review 1985-1989;
Affiliations: Trustee American Cancer Society; Certificate of Honor and Recognition from the Columbus City Council; Outstanding Organization Award from the Short North Business Association; Resolution of Expression from Columbus City Council for Outstanding contributions to the community; Certificate of Expression for Performing Exceptional Service to COTA; Partners in Prevention Award, Franklin County Prevention Institute; Leadership Award, Southwest Education Association; Program Volunteer of the Year Award, Central Ohio Chapter of the March of Dimes; Ohio March of Dimes Public Affairs Award; Victorian Village Commission, former member; Italian Village Commission, former Chair and member; St. Marks Community Health Center, former board member; Downtown Housing Task Force, former member; Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) Task Force, former member; Franklinton Board of Trade; Franklinton Historical Society; Hilltop Business Association; Grove City Chamber of Commerce; Central Ohio Folic Acid Council, honorary chair; Child Care Task Force, co-chair; March of Dimes Board Member; CASA Board Member; Shaken Baby Education Initiative Board Member; Member of the Short North Business Association; Member of St. Francis of Assisi Church.
Endorsements: Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Capitol City Lodge No. 9; Teamsters Local Union 413;Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 189; Coalition of Black Trade Unionists; Coalition of Labor Union Women; A. Philip Randolph Institute
Family: Married with two children
(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years):
It has been my great honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Franklin County as a Judge in the Franklin County Municipal Court since 2005. My docket is comprised of criminal misdemeanors, adult traffic violations and civil lawsuits, which include landlord/tenant matters, breach of contract, personal injury, debt collection and City of Columbus income tax matters). Additionally, I serve in special session approximately every four weeks. Special sessions include in-jail arraignments, out-of-jail arraignments and Duty Room matters. My primary function in the arraignment court is to set bonds on misdemeanor and preliminary felony cases. Typical Duty Room responsibilities include warrant set-asides, ruling on motions for default judgment, motions to dismiss filed by the prosecutor pursuant to Criminal Rule 48, cognovits notes, motions to excuse jurors, probable cause hearings, civil wedding ceremonies and the review of subpoenas and search warrants for law enforcement. Prior to serving as Municipal Court Judge, I served as a part-time Administrative Law Judge for the State Personnel Board of Review. In this position I conducted administrative hearings to resolve factual and legal disputes arising from appeals filed with the Board. Additionally, I presided over settlement and status conferences, pre-hearings and record hearings which proceed much like court trials with witnesses, exhibits and rules of evidence. As a Judge for fifteen years, I have presided over thousands of bench, jury and civil trials, motion hearings and post-conviction hearings. Serving one of the busiest municipal courts in the entire nation is both a challenging and rewarding experience and I am extremely proud to serve as a judge in the Franklin County Municipal Court.
(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
While in private practice I represented hundreds of clients in litigation filed in the Municipal Court as well as the General, Domestic & Juvenile, and Probate Divisions of the Court of Common Pleas in Franklin County in addition to numerous other jurisdictions throughout the state of Ohio. After running a solo practice for many years, I decided to pursue a career in government. In 1994, I was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives and subsequently went on to serve for four very rewarding and productive terms in the legislature. As a representative, I was responsible for introducing and sponsoring a number of important bills in the legislature, including House Bill 162, which established the crime of homicide by child abuse that mandated the same statutory penalties as homicide. This bill became a model for like-minded legislation throughout the United States and as a result earned me an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. In addition to my experience as a legislator, I have served as a member of numerous local organizations including the Shaken Baby Education Initiative, the Downtown Housing Task Force, the Franklinton Board of Trade, the Franklinton Historical Society, the Hilltop Business Association, the Central Ohio Folic Acid Council, the Child Care Task Force, and the Grove City Chamber of Commerce. I currently serve as a Board Member at the American Cancer Society. Service in these various organizations have allowed me to garner valuable experience and knowledge as well as foster relationships with business leaders, community leaders and constituents. I will continue to utilize my connections to serve Franklin County effectively and with distinction.
(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I am running for Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court because I want to continue to serve this wonderful community. As a student of the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University, I developed strong ties to the City of Columbus and Franklin County. I have spent nearly all of my adult life in Franklin County and my husband and I chose to live, work, and raise our two daughters here. I enjoy engaging with our citizens and community leaders. I genuinely appreciate connecting with members of our community because they provide invaluable information in reference to improvement of our local government, economy and legal system. People who know me know I am a fighter for those who do not have a voice. As a cancer survivor, I know what it feels like to never give up, to persevere through adversity. I would like for the people who appear in my courtroom to know that they will always have an opportunity to turn their lives around and to better themselves. I want victims to be confident that their voice is being heard and I will continue to listen to them. I recognize it is vitally important for judges to be “change agents†and give people the tools by which they can better themselves. I feel it is essential to facilitate productive outcomes in order to reduce recidivism rates. I am cognizant that judges can always do a better job in addressing the fundamental and underlying root causes of crime. Generational poverty, addiction, broken families and broken dreams are issues that are not going to be resolved overnight. The judicial system is often the first point of contact for people who need intervention and I take my responsibility as a judge in helping to transform lives very seriously. As a judge, I am sometimes required to make tough decisions which may not always be popular decisions. Being a judge is an extremely difficult job that I feel I am uniquely qualified for given my cumulative years of experience on the bench, in the legislature, and in the private sector. I am determined to continue to dispense justice with integrity and resolute fairness. I believe that my lengthy and varied legal background as well as my years in public service and on the bench make me highly qualified to continue as a Judge in the Franklin County Municipal Court.