Appeals-court judge serves on jury

By Justin Wier

jwier@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

As a member of the 7th District Court of Appeals, Judge Kathleen Bartlett is no stranger to a court room, but a few weeks ago she got to experience the judicial system from a different perspective.

She served on the jury in the trial of Trevon Donovan, 44, of Sandusky, who Judge Bartlett and 11 others exonerated on four charges related to alleged cocaine trafficking.

“All the jurors appreciated the seriousness of our responsibilities and that justice and the defendant’s freedom were at stake,” Judge Bartlett said.

Judge Bartlett isn’t the first appeals court judge to be called for jury duty, but she did not expect to end up in the jury box.

“I assumed, like everyone else, that I would be dismissed summarily,” Judge Bartlett said. “To my surprise, I survived jury selection and was empaneled.”

Gov. John Kasich appointed Judge Bartlett to the appeals court in March to finish Judge Mary DeGenaro’s term shortly after he appointed Judge DeGenaro to the Ohio Supreme Court.

The Youngstown-based appellate court hears appeals from trial courts in an eight-county area that includes Mahoning County.

Judge Bartlett said that as a judge, she felt a need to lead by example.

“Our judicial system requires the active participation of the citizenry,” she said. “I willingly accepted the responsibility and actively participated in the entire process."

Judge Bartlett said the experience provided her with valuable insight and increased her faith in the American judicial system.

“I am pleased to report that the system works even better than I had imagined,” she added.