JUDGE DEBORAH J. NICASTRO 

Judge Nicastro was elected in 1993 and took office as a Garfield Heights Municipal Court Judge on January 2, 1994 and has served the Court for 27 years. Currently she serves as the Presiding and Administrative Judge of the Court.

Experience

• Judge of the Garfield Heights Municipal Court-1994 to present
• Private Attorney-Law Office of Deborah J. Nicastro, Criminal and Civil Litigation, Real Estate, Public Contracts 1984-1994
• Law Director and Prosecutor for the Village of Grafton, Lorain County, Ohio
• Associate Attorney-Wuliger, Fadel & Beyer, Associate Attorney, Criminal & Civil Litigation, Labor Law-Labor Representative, Appellate Practice 1979-1984

Education

• 1996–1997, Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead Society of Professional Fellows
• 1976–1979, Case Western Reserve University, School of Law, Juris Doctor Degree
• 1972–1976, Cleveland State University, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science

Current Service to the Ohio Judiciary

• Member of the Executive Board of the Ohio Judicial Conference
• Chair of the Publications Committee of the Ohio Judicial Conference
• Chair of the Ohio Local Budget Collobrative of the Ohio Judicial Conference
  • Editor of the OJC Budget Resource Handbook
  • Instructor for the Ohio Judicial College on the Local Budget Process for Judges and Court Managers
• Member of the Court Administration Committee of the Ohio Judicial Conference
• Chair of the Judicial Administration Committee of the Association of Municipal and County Judges of Ohio

Past Service to the Ohio Judiciary

• Ohio Judicial Conference Community Outreach and Public Confidence Committee
• Ohio Judicial Conference’s Technology Committee
• National Association of Women Judges-District 7 Director

Service to the Ohio Legal Profession

• Co-Author of the 6th Edition Ohio Driver's License Reinstatement Handbook  A Practical Guide for Attorneys
• Former Chair of the Cuyahoga County Bar Association's Municipal Court Committee
• Guest Lecturer for Continuing Legal Education Programs on Domestic Violence, Traffic Law and LEADS Interpretation, Professionalism, Law Updates for Mayor's Court Clerks, OVI, Electronic Courts and  Driver's License Reinstatement

Beyond the Bench

• Current Community Service
  • President of the Garfield Heights Kiwanis Club
  • Membership Chair of the Independence Kiwanis Club
  • Kiwanis Advisor to the Cuyahoga Community College Circle K Club
  • Kiwanis Advisor to the Independence High School Key Club
  • Advisory Council for the Italian American Collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society
  • Co-Founder and Steering Committee Member of the Italian American Women's Network
  • Program Planner for the Silver & Gold, Inc.
  • Marymount Hospital Community Advisory Committee
• Past Community Service
  • President of the Independence Kiwanis Club
  • President of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary Post 3483
  • President of the Senior Citizens of Independence, Ohio
  • President of the Garfield Heights Chamber of Commerce Charitable and Educational Foundation
  • Trustee for the former St. Michael’s Federal Credit Union 1999-2004
  • Member of Board of Directors of the Weatherhead Society of Professional Fellows
  • Garfield Heights Family Violence Task Force
  • Garfield Heights City Schools’ Substance Abuse and Violence Elimination Task Force 1996-2004
  • Garfield Heights Family Violence Coordinated Community Response Team
  • Guest Lecturer for the United Steel Workers of America AFL-CIO   
  • Judge of the Alternative Juvenile Program of the Garfield Heights City Schools

Memberships

• Professional Memberships
  • Ohio Judicial Conference
  • Assoication of Municipal and County Judges of Ohio
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
  • Weatherhead Society of Professional Fellows
  • CWRU School of Law’s Silver Barrister Circle
• Service Organization Memberships
  • Garfield Heights Kiwanis Club
  • Independence Kiwanis Club
  • Silver & Gold, Inc.
  • Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Post 3483
• Other Memberships
  • Brecksville-Broadview Hts., Garfield Hts., Independence, Maple Hts. Democratic Clubs
  • Garfield Heights Woman's Club
  • Italian American Women's Network
  • Italian Sons and Daughters of America
  • Senior Citizens of Independence

Bar Admissions

• Supreme Court of Ohio – Admitted 1979
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
• United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth District
• United States Tax Court

Awards

• Freedom Award from the American Nationalities Movement  2014
• Association of Municipal and County Judges of Ohio President’s Award for Judicial Excellence 2013
• Public Service Award from the Cleveland Italian American Heritage Committee 2012
• Columbian of Year from the Federation of Italian American Societies 1994