Login | September 26, 2024
Mahoning County welcomes Gina DeGenova as new prosecutor
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: January 26, 2023
During her short tenure as Mahoning County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Gina DeGenova launched a special needs registry to aid law enforcement and first responders when assisting individuals with developmental disabilities and cognitive disorders. She also oversaw two domestic violence benefits and worked to implement other programs designed to open up the lines of communication between the office and the community.
Now she’s planning to expand her efforts to connect with and help residents in her new role as Mahoning County Prosecutor.
She’s the first woman to hold the title.
This after the Mahoning County Democratic Central Committee voted on Jan. 7 to elect her to complete the remainder of former prosecutor Paul Gains’ term, which ends on Dec. 31, 2024.
DeGenova and Brad Gessner, chief counsel for the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office were both vying for the position. DeGenova won 70 of the 109 votes or 64%.
Prior to the Jan. 7 vote, DeGenova was serving as acting prosecutor, a position she held since Dec. 1 after being appointed by the Board of Mahoning County Commissioners.
Gains first ran for the office in 1996 to eliminate corruption in the criminal justice system. He retired at the end of November 2022 after serving as prosecutor for almost 26 years.
In response to her recent win, DeGenova said she is “honored and humbled to serve this community as their prosecutor and I am committed to maintaining the ethics and integrity the community has seen throughout the tenure of Paul Gains.
“I have worked in the office for most of my legal career,” said DeGenova, who plans to run for a full four-year term in Nov. 2024. “I’ve handled nearly every type of matter coming through the office and worked in essentially every area.
“My unique set of experience will enable me to move the office forward and to provide essential services to our community.”
Late last year, Gains expressed confidence in DeGenova’s abilities.
“Gina will continue to run the office with integrity and will ensure that the office vigorously prosecutes those accused of crimes to keep our families safe,” said Gains.
Raised in Niles, Ohio, DeGenova received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Youngstown State University.
After earning her juris doctorate from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 2000, she began her career as an associate in the Warren office of Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell, where she focused on litigation and employment law.
“From the time I was in middle school, I wanted to be a lawyer,” said DeGenova. “I always found myself interested in crime stories and mysteries and thought being a lawyer would be exciting and challenging for me.”
She joined the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office as an assistant prosecutor in July 2005 and was promoted to chief assistant prosecutor in January 2021.
“My time in the office has been challenging and rewarding,” she said. “I’ve gotten to work with many different people and in various courts, including law enforcement, elected officials, township trustees and members of county boards.
“When I was promoted to chief assistant prosecutor, I was also named public information officer, which allowed me to implement a number of community engagement initiatives.”
The Mahoning County Special Needs Registry was unveiled in September 2021 and has enabled officials to create profiles for registrants within the emergency 911 system. The profiles contain details provided by family members about some of the challenges their loved ones face.
The office also hosted two domestic violence events, collecting thousands of personal items and supplies for victims of domestic violence being assisted by Sojourner, Christina and Beatitude houses.
“We collaborated with some area schools and together with the amazing efforts of our local students, we were able to distribute over 3,000 items in October 2021 and more than 10,000 in October 2022.”
Chief Assistant Prosecutor Linette Stratford has worked closely with DeGenova since she started in 2005.
“I can’t say enough good things about Gina as a lawyer,” said Stratford. “She is honestly the most proficient researcher and litigator that I know. Quite frankly, if I ever needed a lawyer I would want Gina.
“She is dedicated, talented and hard-working,” said Stratford. “She has all the experience needed to get the job done. She has done everything from presenting to the grand jury to filing a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court.
“In my opinion, Gina DeGenova is by far the best choice to replace Paul Gains.”
DeGenova is a member of The Mahoning County Bar, the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys, National District Attorneys and Ohio Township associations.
Some of her other affiliations include membership in the Youngstown Lions Club and Youngstown Business & Professional Women, where she also serves as the club’s recording secretary. In addition, she is an advisory board member at Sojourner House.
She routinely speaks to senior groups about how to protect against elder fraud and discusses tips to avoid scams.
“I am very proud of the work we do and of our amazing staff,” DeGenova said. “Together we will continue our efforts to keep the community safe by holding those who violate the law accountable for their actions and to also implement new programs and initiatives to serve the public.”