6 From The Bench April 2015 SEND NEWSLETTER IDEAS TO [email protected] Veterans Treatment Court Dedication Scheduled After months of preparation and training, the Cuyahoga County Veterans Treatment Court will have its dedication ceremony on Friday, May 29, in the 4th floor Jury Assembly Room. After the Veterans Court was approved at the November Judges’ Meeting, Judge Michael Jackson was named to head the docket. The mission of the Veterans Court is to successfully rehabilitate veterans by diverting them from the traditional criminal justice system and providing them with the unique tools they need to lead a productive and law-abiding lifestyle. Judge Jackson, who served as a Marine during the Vietnam War, says starting a Veterans Court was the main reason he ran for Judge. Under the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Veterans Court, Judges will have the discretion to transfer a veteran/defendant’s case to the Veterans Court where the program will last for a minimum of 12 months. IN THIS ISSUE! Jury Rooms Upgraded Page #2 Court Reporters Compete Pages #3 Court Golf Outing To Be Held In September Page #4 A three day training session took place in early April. Pictured above are (left to right): Jon Reiss, Cuyahoga County Veterans Services Exec. Dir.; Maria Nemec, Chief Probation Officer; Jack Utrata, Probation Officer; Francis Arinze, Public Defender; Ted Chaplik, TASC; Kenneth Arnold, Justice For Vets; Judge Michael Jackson; Mark Kammerer, JFV; Victoria Marion, Veterans Justice Outreach Officer; Joyce Barrow, JFV; Amanda WozniakWoodruff, Veterans Court Coordinator; Chief Kelly Stillman, Rocky River Police; Jay Hadam, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Dept. May Birthdays! Page #4 FROM THE BENCH | Issue # 6 2 Judge Sheehan Named Trustee for CMBA Jury Rooms Upgraded After 40 Years Sharing Thank You Notes Congratulations to Judge Brendan Sheehan on being elected as an at-large trustee for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. There was a time when burnt orange and avocado green were THE colors to have. That was the case when the Justice Center opened in 1976. A recent suggestion for the newsletter was to share thank you notes that the Court receives. I think it’s a great idea! These are things we should be sharing. Judge Sheehan will be sworn in when the new CMBA fiscal year begins in June. The CMBA's Eighth Annual Meeting on Friday, June 5 at the Marriott at Key Center. For more information about the Annual Meeting, please click here. Fortunately times change and so do color patterns. Over a pair of weekends in April, all of the Court’s jury deliberation rooms got new chairs thanks to funding from the capital improvements budget. This month’s letter was sent to Probation Officer Jarvis Clark from woman whose charge was expunged after serving probation. And so…out with the old… She tells Clark, “You helped save my life and I will be forever grateful...you believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.” Judge Sheehan will serve a three year term ending at the 2018 CMBA Annual Meeting. Court @ Cedar Point Cedar Point opens for the 2015 season on May 9! Once again, the Court has worked with Cedar Point to offer employees special discounts for this summer. There are three days for which you can purchase discounted tickets: Saturday, May 23; Saturday, August 8; and Saturday, October 10 (Halloweekends!). Tickets will be $36 instead of the gate price of $62. You can also purchase “Good Any Day” (GAD) tickets for $45. These can be used any day during the season and come with a variety of food/water park/etc. options. Watch your email for more details and a link for ordering! And in with the new! If you receive a thank you note that you’d like to share with the Court, please email me at [email protected] . I’d like to share more of these amazing and inspirational messages in the future. And thank you to everyone who works so hard to help people get back on their feet! FROM THE BENCH | Issue # 6 3 APL/Food Trucks Returning Judge Friedman Orders Baby To Appear Court Reporters Set Speed Bars High Justice Fur All returns to the Justice Center on Thursday, May 7, and every other Thursday after that during the summer. If you ever had a baby, the due date was circled on the calendar. But, more often than not, the baby has a mind of its own. The Cleveland Animal Protective League will bring its rolling adoption center “Rover” to the Huntington Garage parking lot off of Lakeside for two hours during lunch. That was the case for Marcie Distad, staff attorney for Judge Stuart Friedman. Call the Court Reporter Olympics! Several of our court reporters competed in a speed contest at the Ohio Court Reporters Association’s conference in Columbus in March. Court employees, jurors, and others can spend a few minutes with dogs and cats that are looking for Forever Homes. If you find your new best friend, you can make arrangements to adopt on site and pick up at the APL later after work. Marcie’s grandchild was due on April 14…and failed to show. And you know what happens when people fail to show? Judge Friedman took things into his own hands and issued an Order for Baby Distad to appear. It read as follows: “Inasmuch as Baby Distad failed to appear on April 14, 2015 as scheduled, the Court orders Baby Distad to appear on or before April 17, 2015. Baby Distad’s failure to appear shall result in a hearing where Baby Distad shall show cause as to why his or her appearance was delayed. IT IS SO ORDERED.” Good news! George Jarvis Distad arrived, as ordered, on April 17! Rose Bennett, bailiff to Judge Kathleen Sutula, threatened to adopt this little lady who did find a Forever Home. Then beginning Monday, June 1, Memorial Mondays will return to Huntington Park! Food trucks will be on hand from 11:30AM until 1:30PM (or whenever they run out of food). Weekly food-truck lineups will be sent to Court employees, so be prepared for more variety! There are three portions to the speed contest; literary, jury charge and Q&A. Four people from our office took part in the speed contest. They all qualified in the Jury Charge portion, which is at 240 words per minute. Ilene White came in 3rd place, Tim Meinke came in 5th place, Greg Mizanin came in 6th place and Marlene Ebner came in 10th place. In the Testimony portion, which is at 280 words per minute, Marlene came in 2nd place. Marlene also came in 2nd place overall. Congratulations to all! Feast of St. Joseph A reminder that the postponed 3rd Annual Feast of St. Joseph will be held Thursday, May 7, on the 12th floor. The lunch sponsored by Judges Kathleen Sutula and John Sutula, along with their staffs, is traditionally held on March 19 to honor the patron saint of their Polish ancestry. Everyone is invited! FROM THE BENCH | Issue # 6 4 May Birthdays! Judges Probation Psy Clinic José Villanueva Anita Olsafsky Cathleen Cerny Stuart Friedman Anna Rokhlina Cortney Kohberger Anne Tullos Galit Askenazi Arbitration John Minter Bailiffs Colleen Gallagher Central Scheduling Arielle Edwards Brett Taylor Brian Thelen Anne McDonough Dewey Buckner Lauren Bailey Charise Flowers Girtha Smith Joanne Gibbons Hilary Schleter Jordan Luminais Javares Green Court Reporters Kari Jones Ellen Rassie Kathleen Patton Kristin Beutler Kealy McNally LaToya Jones John Boutros Mary Lynn D’Amico Kathleen DeCrane Michael Yezbak Mark Shannon Michelle Gordon Foreclosure Molly Leckler Amy Jackson Nicole Byron Christopher Olsztyn Pamela Thompson Heather Malecki Patricia Schmitz Information Systems Kamil Drutel TASC Dariusz Dolub Julie Piotrowski Diane Cieply Criminal Records Staff Attorney Justice Fore All Golf Alyson Brown Outing Scheduled Sertarian Hall Wendy McWilliam Justice Fore All Golf Outing Scheduled The 2nd Annual Justice Fore All Golf Outing has been scheduled for Friday, September 11, at Royal Crest Golf Club in Columbia Station. More details to come, so save the date!
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