Judges vs Magistrates

● Magistrates are judicial officers appointed by judges

● Judges are nominated by the president and approved by the senate
● Judges and magistrates make the same types of rulings and have
similar roles.
● However, a judge must approve the magistrate’s decision before it is
final.
● Also, appeals of a magistrate go to the district judge.
● Terms
○ Judge for life
○ Magistrate 8 years and renewable
Federal Northern
District of Ohio
Judges
 Chief Justice Patricia A. Gaughan
● Education
○ St. Mary’s. College B.A.
○ Notre Dame Law School J.D.
● Attorney since 1978
● Appointed as a district judge in 1995 and became
chief justice in 2017
● Standing orders
○ She has 6
○ Civil Trial Order
■ Voir Dire: one counsel from each party gets
to ask questions to determine jury
■ Trial Briefs are required in all cases, need to
be filed no later than a week before pretrial
 Judge John R. Adams
● Education
○ Bowling Green University B.S.
○ Akron Law School J.D
● Attorney since 1983
● Appointed in 2003
● Standing orders
○ Has 7
○ Subpoena requirements
■ No subpoena can require materials in advance of
the trial (criminal case)
■ Court needs to grant the motion and subpoena
must be returnable to the court
● Preferences: prefers to be in person, calls should only be to
schedule, no phones in hallway
 Judge Sara Lioi

● Education
○ Bowling Green University BA
○ The Ohio State Law School J.D
● Attorney 1987-1997
● Judge in Court of Common Plea 1997-2007
● Appointed in 2007
● Heavy on Case Management Conference (CMC)
 Judge Benita Y. Pearson
● Education
○ Cleveland-Marshall College of Law B.S. & J.D.
● Attorney 1996-2008
● Appointed in 2010
● First black woman to receive a seat in any of the
Ohio Federal Districts
● Standing orders
○ Has 4
○ Case Management Conference Scheduling
Order
■ Outlines steps for discovery disputes to
be taken before filing to court
● Preferences
○ Does not like motions of reconsideration
 Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick
● Education
○ University of Michigan BA
○ The Ohio State Moritz College of Law J.D.
● Attorney 1989-2012
● Appointed in 2012
● Standing orders
○ Has 1
○ If counsel cannot resolve a discovery dispute,
he asks for a joint letter summary and his
chambers will later contact the counsels for
the next steps
 Judge Pamela A. Barker

● Education
○ Kenyon College B.A.
○ The Ohio State University Law School J.D.
● Court of common pleas 2011-2019
● Appointed in 2019
● Standing orders
○ Has 17
○ Pro Se Guide
■ Defines legal terms and gives tips
 Judge James R. Knepp II
● Education
○ Mount Union College, B.A.
○ Bowling Green State University, M.A.
○ University of Toledo College of Law, J.D. (class
valedictorian)
● Worked in litigation before
● Law clerk 1992-1994
● Appointed in 2020
● Standing orders
○ Has 3
○ Settlement Scheduling Order
■ Each party must submit a confidential
statement to the court 3 days prior
 Judge J. Philip Calabrese
● Education
○ College of the Holy Cross, B.A.
○ Harvard Law School, J.D.
○ Fulbright Fellow at the American School of
Classical Studies at Athens, Greece
● Common Pleas Court Judge 2019-2020
● Appointed in 2020
● Standing orders
○ Has 4
○ Rule 26(f) Report of the Parties
■ Must exchange initial disclosure at least
a week before Rule 26 (f) conference
 Judge Charles Esque Fleming

● Education
○ Kent State University, B.B.A.
○ Case Western Reserve University School of
Law, J.D.
● Was assistant federal public defender in the Office
of the Federal Public Defender prior
● Appointed in 2022
 Judge David A. Ruiz

● Education
○ Ohio State University B.A.
○ Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law
J.D.
● Attorney 2001-2016
● Magistrate 2016-2022
● Appointed in 2022
 Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan
● Education
○ John Carroll University, B.A.
○ Case Western Reserve University School of
Law, J.D.
● Associate at BakerHostetler 2000-2007
● 2021-2022: Acting U.S. attorney
● 2018-2021: First assistant
● 2017-2018: Chief of the Criminal Division
● 2015-2017: Chief of the Civil Rights Unit
● 2013-2018: Ethics advisor
● Appointed in 2022
 Judge James G. Carr
● Education
○ Kenyon College, B.A.
○ Harvard Law School, LL.B.
● Attorney 1966-1970
● Professor 1969-1973
● Magistrate 1979-1994
● U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Washington, DC 2002 - 2008
● Appointed in 1994
● Chief Judge from December 21, 2004 - June 1, 2010.
● Pro Hac Vice
○ “Unless opposing counsel objects, counsel may move orally for pro hac
vice admission at the CMC or other pre trial conference”
○ When a lawyer is authorized to be added to a case outside their
jurisdiction
 Judge Solomon Oliver Jr.
● Education
○ College of Wooster (OH), 1969, B.A.;
○ New York University School of Law, 1972, J.D.;
○ Case Western Reserve University (OH), 1974,
M.A.
● Clerk, attorney, professor, visiting professor
internationally
● Appointed in 1994
● Chief judge 2010
● Standing Orders
○ Has 4
○ Criminal Pre-Trial order
■ Lists documents that must be submitted
by 4pm
 Judge Donald C. Nugent
● Education
○ Xavier University, Ohio, B.A.
○ Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D.
○ University of Nevada, National Judicial College, Master of Judicial
Studies
● U.S. Marine Corps, 1970-1971
● Attorney 1974-1985
● Court of Common Pleas Judge 1985-1992
● Judge, Eighth District Court of Appeals, State of Ohio, 1993-1995
● Appointed in 1995
● Standing Orders
○ Has 4
○ Civil Trial Order-non jury
■ Joint Statement of disputed facts: Counsels must prepare a
joint statement listing all disputed issues of fact and file it
with the Court no later than ten (10) days prior to trial.
 Judge James Gwin
● Education
○ Kenyon College BA
○ University of Akron School of Law J.D.
● Attorney 1979-1989
● Court of Common Pleas Judge 1979
● Appointed in 1997
● Standing Orders
○ Has 8
○ Trial Time Order
■ Allocates minutes for specific parts of the trial
● Preferences: “Electronically filed documents should be in a
text-searchable format”
 Judge Dan Aaron Polster
● Education
○ Harvard College A.B.
○ Harvard Law School, J.D.
● Attorney 1976-1998
● Court of Common Pleas Judge 1979
● Appointed in 1998
● Standing Orders
○ Has 6
○ Boilerplate Civil Jury Charge
■ Instructions for jury
■ Boilerplate: used in contracts, general standardized
language
 Judge Christopher A. Boyko

● Education
○ Mount Union College
○ Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
● Court of Common Pleas Judge 1996-2004
● Appointed in 2005
● Standing Orders
○ Has 9
○ Case Management order
■ More concise than the others I have seen
 Judge Jack Zouhary
● Education
○ Dartmouth College B.A.
○ Rufus Choate Scholar
○ University of Toledo College of Law, J.D.
○ Associate Editor Law Review
● Court of Common Pleas Judge 2005-2006
● Attorney 1976-2005
● Appointed in 2005
● Standing Orders
○ Has 14
○ Jury Evidence Recording Systems Order
■ Specific details on exhibits such as filing, naming,
and compatibility
 Senior Status

Semi-retired judges who meet eligibility through age and

service requirements but continue to serve hearing a reduced
number of cases.
 Sources

https://www.ohnd.uscourts.gov/judges

https://ballotpedia.org/Sara_Lioi
Directory of all the judges in northern and southern district of ohio
● Name
● where they went to school
● when were appointed
● if they have any standing orders and if so two things from each
order

Judges and magistrate judges in Franklin county common police

court