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Rusu, Robb win judicial races
YOUNGSTOWN
Judge Robert N. Rusu Jr. has won the race for a full term as Mahoning County probate judge, and Judge Carol Robb has won an eight-county race for 7th District Court of Appeals judge.
In the contest for the $121,350-a-year probate court judgeship, the incumbent, Judge Rusu, 47, of Canfield, an independent candidate, was challenged by Atty. Susan Maruca, 45, of Poland, a Democrat, for a six-year term.
Judge Rusu won by a 52 to 48 percent margin.
“It’s a testament to the 21 years that I’ve been practicing up to this point. Your word and your reputation is everything and I’ve been preparing for this position my whole life,” Judge Rusu said.
Judge Rusu said some people told him an independent judicial candidate couldn’t win in Mahoning County.
“We’ve turned the corner,” he observed. He said he had “proven them wrong by hard work and a grass-roots effort. People saw what I had. They wanted change.”
He added: “My No. 1 goal is to bring more awareness and recognition to the probate court,” which everyone will deal with at some point in their lives.
Maruca said she couldn’t think of any single factor that would explain her defeat.
“The voters made their decision, and I respect their decision,” she added.
The Mahoning County Bar Association rated Judge Rusu as highly recommended and Maruca as not recommended.
Judge Rusu, who was appointed by Gov. John Kasich, ran on his two decades of practice devoted almost exclusively to probate law and some 1,300 probate court cases he handled here before his July 8 installation as probate judge.
Atty. Maruca, who appeared in 10 adoption proceedings here between 1999 and 2004, emphasized her empathy for families with matters before the probate court and her desire to offer individualized attention to cases before the court, rather than routinely process a high volume of cases.
The probate court election followed the resignation of Mark Belinky, the former probate judge, who left the bench March 14, pleaded guilty to tampering with records and was put on two years’ probation.
In the race for the $132,000-a-year appeals court judgeship, Republican Judge Carol Robb of Columbiana County Municipal Court, who turned 62 on Tuesday and resides in New Waterford, faced Democrat Anthony Donofrio, 55, of Younstown, deputy Youngstown law director.
Judge Robb won the eight-county race by 71,439 to Donofrio’ 63,169 votes.
Neither appeals court candidate could be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
Both candidates received a recommended rating from the Mahoning County Bar Association.
They ran for a six-year term in a seat being vacated by Judge Joseph J. Vukovich, who did not seek re-election.
The Youngstown-based, four-judge 7th District Court of Appeals’ jurisdiction consists of Mahoning, Columbiana, Belmont, Carroll, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe and Noble counties.
Judge Cheryl A. Waite, a Democrat, who ran unopposed, was re-elected to another seat on the appeals court, which makes written decisions on appeals that allege legal or procedural errors in trial court proceedings.