“Achieving Justice” with Michelle Cordova, candidate for Judge of Stark County Family Court

Attorney Michelle Cordova of North Canton spent 25 years as a prosecuting attorney in Stark County in roles ranging from the civil division to serious adult felonies to child sex abuse cases.  She was the chief of the juvenile division of the office for 15 years. Currently, Michelle is a prosecutor for the Summit County Prosecutor’s office, handling serious felony cases in one of the state’s largest cities. 

Cordova says her experience serving northeast Ohio families and communities has prepared her for serving as Stark County’s next Family Court Judge. She is running for the post in the Nov. 8 election.

In this latest installment of Justice Jennifer Brunner’s “Achieving Justice” video series, Cordova reflects on her career and how it has prepared her to help families and administer justice in Stark County’s Family Court located in Canton, Ohio.

Among her accomplishments in leading the juvenile division of the prosecutor’s office, Cordova helped create the county’s Juvenile Drug Court and created a special Truancy Docket, “recognizing that truancy is at the heart of almost all delinquency.”

She also started a “Safe Harbor” program to help victims of human trafficking and a first-time diversion program for low-level traffic offenses, which succeeded in helping juveniles correct their bad driving habits “rather than just putting points on their license and sending them back out on the roads.”

Cordova is a graduate of the University of Akron School of Law (JD), Ohio University (BA), and Perry High School. She was inducted into the Stark County YWCA Women’s Hall of Fame in 2019, for exceptional leadership, achievement and community service.

Justice Brunner started "Achieving Justice" in 2020 during her campaign for the Ohio Supreme Court. The program educates individuals about Ohio's judicial system and the judges and candidates for judge who serve and wish to serve their state and community. All the 2022 Achieving Justice interviews can be found here: https://www.justicebrunner.com/news.  

“Serving the people and the cause of justice is one of the most important callings in our democratic system,” Justice Brunner said. “I believe that the more information the public has about the courts, their judges, and judicial candidates, the stronger our system is.”

Justice Brunner is a candidate for Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court in 2022.