Columbus, Ohio – Governor Ted Strickland announced today the appointment of Steven Terry to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, general division.
“Steven has the legal experience, integrity and commitment to serving the public that judges should exemplify,” Strickland said. “I believe he will carry out the duties of his position with fairness and good judgment.”
Terry fills a seat on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas that was vacated when Judge Mary Jane Boyle was elected to the Eighth District Court of Appeals. Terry will begin on April 30, 2007, and his appointment will extend until January 2, 2009.
Terry, 49, resides in Cleveland and brings more than 17 years of legal experience to the Court of Common Pleas position.
Since 2004, Terry has served as the director for the Cuyahoga County Department of Justice Affairs, where he oversees a department with a $38 million budget and 170 employees. He previously worked in private practice and as the prosecutor for Warrensville Heights from 2002-2004.
Terry also held several other senior management positions with the City of Cleveland from 1994-2001, including chief counsel, assistant director of public safety and first assistant city prosecutor.
Prior to his service in Cleveland, Terry worked for the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office from 1992-1994, Edward L. Gilbert Co., LPA in Akron from 1989-1992, and the prosecutor’s office for the City of Akron from 1984-1989.
Terry received his bachelor’s degree and MBA from Bowling Green State University in 1980 and 1982, respectively. He graduated from the University of Akron School of Law in 1987.
“I am honored to have this opportunity to serve Cuyahoga County,” Terry said.
Terry has been involved with several community organizations including 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Prince Hall Masons and Mt. Zion Congregational Church UCC.
Governor Strickland selected Terry through Ohio’s new judicial selection process, in which members of the Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel (OJARP) evaluate the qualifications of applicants for judicial vacancies and then make non-binding recommendations to the governor based on their evaluations. OJARP is currently working to fill judicial vacancies in Lucas, Montgomery, and Stark counties.