Judge bids bench farewell

The judge insisted on cross-training his staff for multiple jobs.

By PETER H. MILLIKEN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Judge Timothy P. Maloney of Mahoning County Probate Court said he intends to remain a Mahoning Valley resident after he retires and will consider teaching or serving as a visiting judge after he leaves the bench.

“If I’m called upon to be a visiting court judge, I probably would accept that,” said Judge Maloney, who announced Thursday his intention to retire on or about Sept. 30. Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Moyer makes appointments to visiting judgeships.

Judge Maloney also said he is considering taking a part-time teaching position at Youngstown State University or at a community college in various fields of law or criminal justice. “I never really lost an interest in that part of the law that goes back to my time as a police officer,” he said, referring to criminal law.

As for remaining in the Mahoning Valley, he said: “I love the four seasons.”

Time to step down

Judge Maloney, 58, of Boardman, is leaving office with 36 years of public service in Mahoning County, including 13 years as a Youngstown police officer, 41⁄2 years as a clerk and assistant staff counsel to the 7th District Court of Appeals, nine years as a probate court magistrate and 10 years as probate judge.

“I look back at 36 years of service, and I just feel that it’s my time to go,” Judge Maloney said when asked why he was leaving before the Feb. 8, 2009, expiration of his term.

The process of replacing Judge Maloney will involve five standing at-large judicial appointments committee members, supplemented by six appointees from Mahoning County. The 11-member committee will advertise the vacancy, seek and interview applicants, and recommend three finalists for Gov. Ted Strickland to choose from. Whomever the governor appoints will have to run next year for election to a six-year term if he or she wishes to keep the seat.

Move to modernize

Judge Maloney said he is proud of the efforts he and his staff have made to modernize the court, which is now fully computerized and has a public Web site.

The judge, who has had high-profile budget disputes with the county commissioners over the years, said he reduced the court’s general fund budget by more than 20 percent in 1997 and has kept the annual budget almost constant since then at about $890,000.

As computerization reduced staffing needs, Judge Maloney also said he reduced staff gradually over 10 years by not replacing people who left, but didn’t lay anyone off. “As time went on, I just felt fewer people could do more work, and that’s when I started insisting that they be cross-trained,” he said.

When he became probate judge in 1997, his court had three part-time magistrates and 19 full-time clerks. Today, the court staff consists of one full-time magistrate, three part-time magistrates and 10 full-time clerks. When Judge Maloney took office, he increased the court’s hours of operation from 32 to 40 hours a week.

Not afraid of change

“I haven’t been afraid to make changes where I felt they were warranted,” said Judge Maloney, who makes appointments to various public boards and commissions. One of the most memorable of those changes was in the three-member Mill Creek MetroParks board of commissioners, where he replaced two commissioners at once with new appointees in 1998. The new board was applauded for switching its meetings from daytime to evening to make it easier for working people to attend.

The probate court has vast responsibilities, with hundreds of millions of dollars under its management in estate, guardianship and trust assets and minors’ accounts, he noted.

“Guardianships are probably the single largest growth area in probate court. As the population of Mahoning County gets older, guardianships will increase,” he said.

As for the characteristics needed in a good probate judge, he said: “You’ve got to care for the individuals that you’re responsible for, and you’ve got to be very knowledgeable about your duties under the probate code and the statutes of Ohio and be proactive.”

milliken@vindy.com