Panel to screen candidates for judge of probate court

The committee will interview candidates Nov. 7.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — A replacement for outgoing Judge Timothy P. Maloney of Mahoning County Probate Court will probably be chosen sometime next month.

Gov. Ted Strickland’s office announced Friday the names of six local appointments to an 11-member Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel that will screen candidates for the job.

There are also five permanent at-large members of the committee that consider judicial vacancies throughout the state.

Judge Maloney announced in June that he would retire at the end of September. But he said last week that he plans to remain at least until the end of October.

The announcement from Strickland’s office said the judge is retiring Nov. 30. Judge Maloney’s office said Friday that he hasn’t given an official retirement date.

Those interested in replacing Judge Maloney must submit a letter of interest, résumé, no more than six letters of recommendation and complete a questionnaire that is accessible at: http://governor.ohio.gov/Portals/0/OJARP/OJARP%20QUESTIONNAIRE.pdf by 5 p.m. Oct. 19. Additional details about the process can be found at http://ojarp.org — the panel’s Web site.

The panel has the option of reducing the number of applicants before interviews are held Nov. 7 in Columbus. After the interviews are done, the panel will recommend up to three finalists for the job. Strickland, a Democrat formerly of Lisbon, typically takes about a week to select the appointee.

Requirements

Applicants for the seat must be a resident and registered elector of Mahoning County and can’t be older than age 70 on the day they begin their duties under state law.

Also, applicants must be admitted to practice law in the state and have maintained their legal license for six years before assuming the judicial post or served as a judge of a court of record in any jurisdiction in the country, according to Strickland’s office.

Judge Maloney has served 101⁄2 years as the county probate court judge.

The court handles cases including estates, guardianships, trusts, adoptions, name changes, and commitments for the mentally ill and challenged.

Whoever is appointed to replace the judge would serve until Feb. 9, 2009. To continue serving in the position, the appointee must run for the seat in next year’s election.

This would be the second time Strickland is filling a judicial vacancy in Mahoning County recently.

Strickland, who used to represent a portion of the county for four years in the U.S. House, selected Tim Franken of Beaver Township in September to replace Maureen Cronin as a judge on the court of common pleas. Judge Franken’s first day on the job was this past Monday.

skolnick@vindy.com