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Common pleas presiding and administrative judges talk shop
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: June 16, 2023
Since taking the Summit County Common Pleas Court bench in May 2019, Judge Susan Baker Ross said she’s been on a mission to help those who’ve come before her in any way that she can.
She currently presides over the Valor Court. The specialized docket offers veterans who come before the common pleas court the chance to obtain treatment and other services to help them recover from substance use disorders and mental and physical trauma.
“Working with participants in the Valor Court is the most rewarding part of my job,” said Judge Baker Ross. “I have been presiding over this specialty court since August 2022, so I’ve been able to see many of our veterans make substantial progress in overcoming substance use disorders and other challenges.
“Like some of these veterans, I too struggled with a substance use disorder,” said Judge Baker Ross. “In fact, this July marks my 34th year in recovery.”
At the start of February 2023, Judge Baker Ross became the court’s presiding judge after her colleagues voted to unanimously elect her to the position.
“My goal with anything I take on is to leave the situation in a better place than where it was when I got there,” said Judge Baker Ross. “The court was already running smoothly, but everyone who takes on the role looks at things in a different way, which is why it’s so important that we rotate the presiding and administrative judge positions.”
In addition to managing her own docket, Judge Baker Ross has been reviewing the forms and information that the court provides to the public to ensure they are up to date.
She’s also been charged with carrying out the court’s plan to expand juror sources for both the petit and grand juries by adding licensed drivers and state ID holders to the pool of potential candidates.
Summit County currently selects jurors from the list of registered voters provided by the Board of Elections.
The idea was introduced by Summit County Council President Veronica Sims, and then presented to the judges during their monthly meeting in April. Sims and Erin Dickinson, Summit County Council member at-large, made a formal presentation to the judges at that time.
“As we––both here locally and across the country––seek ways to enhance the effectiveness of our criminal justice system, it is critical to expand the juror pool to include a more diverse representation throughout the entire deliberation process, especially as it relates to black and brown communities,” said Sims in a recent press release.
“The Ohio Revised Code allows courts to draw jurors from both the Board of Elections and Bureau of Motor Vehicles participation lists,” said Judge Baker Ross.
“As a bench, all 10 of the General Division Common Pleas Court judges agreed to the change,” she said. “Involving more of our Summit County residents in the justice system should benefit everyone by adding diversity in thought, age and possibly race.
“Our expected timeline is to include potential jurors from the BMV lists to serve beginning the first week in September,” said Judge Baker Ross.
“We are also working on an educational campaign that will include testimonials of people who previously served to raise awareness about the importance of jury service and address concerns people have about serving.”
Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Kathryn Michael, who took on the role of administrative judge in February 2023, is also excited about the opportunity to expand the jury pool.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” said Judge Michael. “I am looking forward to assisting Judge Baker Ross in implementing the plan in any way I can.”
A resident of Summit County for the past 35 years, Judge Michael was elected to the Summit County Court of Common Pleas in November 2018 after serving as an Akron Municipal Court judge for over 10 years.
“I decided to become an attorney when I was in eighth grade,” said Judge Michael. “As an immigrant, my dad owned rental properties and had a husband and wife lawyer team who handled his legal matters. From time to time, he used to take me with him on visits to his bank and his lawyers. After meeting his female attorney, I was inspired.”
Judge Michael earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and her juris doctorate from The University of Akron.
While at Akron Law, she worked as a law clerk for the Summit County Common Pleas Court General Division judges and was the employment discrimination law clerk to then-attorney, now retired, Summit County Domestic Relations Court Judge Judith Nicely.
After graduating law school, Judge Michael began her legal career as a litigation associate in the Cleveland office of Arter & Hadden.
“I was sent to Texas to work on litigation surrounding the savings and loan crisis,” said Judge Michael. “My first project was Vernon Savings & Loan in Vernon, Texas.”
Prior to being elected to the Akron Municipal Court in 2005, Judge Michael maintained a law office where she handled a variety of different litigation matters.
During her time in private practice, Judge Michael was also a volunteer mediator for the Summit County Common Pleas Court, an outside mediator for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission N.D. Ohio office and a part-time magistrate at Akron Municipal Court.
While on the Akron Municipal Court, she served as administrative/presiding judge twice.
Judge Michael said she was honored when her colleagues on the common pleas court unanimously elected her administrative judge.
“It was the first time in a long time that the administrative and presiding judge positions received a unanimous vote,” said Judge Michael.
“It’s been an interesting experience. It has provided me with insight on the inner workings of our court, and how our court interacts with community agencies and partners,” said Judge Michael. “It has also given me the opportunity to set the agenda to discuss the various issues facing our court.”
Judge Michael also presides over the Domestic Violence Intervention Court (DVIC). The Ohio Supreme Court certified specialized docket provides services to domestic violence offenders through Intensive Probation and programming to break the cycle of generational violence.
“I also presided over the Family Intervention Court for many years when I was serving on the Akron Municipal Court bench,” said Judge Michael. “I have seen the positive change it has on participants’ lives and the lives of their families.”
A member of the Akron Bar Association and an Akron Bar Foundation fellow, Judge Michael chairs the Akron Bar Association’s Women in Law Section.
Judge Michael serves on the board of the Tri-County Independent Living Center Inc., which provides services to physically and mentally challenged individuals.
She is also a member of the fundraising committee at the Akron Art Museum, president of the Christian Orthodox Council of Akron and a second vice president at Orthodox Christian Women.
“My main goal as administrative judge is to get my colleagues to reach a consensus as to the various issues facing the court,” said Judge Michael.
Like Judge Michael, Judge Baker Ross received her bachelor’s degree and juris doctorate from The University of Akron.
During law school, she worked as a legal intern for the city of Akron Law Department.
“My stepmother and mentor, attorney and former Akron Municipal Court Judge Linda B. Kersker, inspired me to become a lawyer,” Judge Baker Ross said.
Judge Baker Ross began her career as an assistant prosecutor in the civil division of the Portage County Prosecutor’s Office.
In January 2001, she joined the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office as an assistant prosecutor in the civil division where she remained until July 2010.
Judge Ross Baker joined the Akron Municipal Court as a judicial attorney and magistrate in 2012. About four years later she became the Akron Municipal Court traffic magistrate. She continued to serve in that role until she moved to the Summit County Common Pleas Court bench.
She has also periodically worked in private practice over the years, where she focused on criminal defense, uncontested divorce matters and probate and estate cases.
A graduate and member of Leadership Akron Signature Class 35, Judge Baker Ross is a member of the Akron Bar Association Lawyers Assistance Committee. She is also a member of the Ohio Judicial Conference Judicial Advisory Group and the Criminal Law & Procedure and Civil Law & Procedure committees.
She currently serves on the board of Hope United, which offers a variety of services to those recovering from substance use disorders.
“When I was first elected presiding judge, I was a little apprehensive about taking on additional duties in areas of the court that I had not previously dealt with,” said Judge Baker Ross. “Now I’m really grateful for the opportunity to give something extra back to the court.”