By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com-W. Mona' Scott (pictured), a former assistant county prosecutor who, in November, won the race to become the judge of the Cleveland Municipal Housing Court, has named her new housing court employees team, including former Cleveland councilman Jeff Johnson.
"My team and I are determined to create consistent, clear and balanced policies that rationally deal with housing as it intersects with mental health, drug abuse, financial instability, blight, the environment, criminal justice reform, and overall community concerns," said Scott , the court's first female Black housing court judge. "Twenty-twenty not only launches the beginning of the start of a new decade, but also a more sound and judicially prudent Cleveland Housing Court."
A lawyer, former state senator and unsuccessful candidate for mayor in 2017, Johnson was named Scott's chief housing court specialist.
He will oversee a staff of court employees who work with tenants and landlords and provide community outreach.
Scott named Stephanie Hall her chief bailiff, and Mark Wiseman her housing court magistrate.
Ryan Miday, the campaign manager and brains behind County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley's win against fellow Democrat and incumbent county prosecutor Tim McGinty who was O'Malley's communications chief, was chosen by Scott as her public information officer.
A former fair housing administrator for Cleveland and assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor of six years, Scott defeated Ron O'Leary, 49, to win the seat during last year's general election.
O'Leary had been appointed judge by then governor John Kasich following the 2017 death of longtime Democratic Housing Court Judge Ray Pianca, an unexpired term that ends in January, both Scott and O'Leary fighting it out again, this time for the six-year full term that commences Jan 2. that Scott won.
Judge Scott was endorsed by community activists last year as she sought to won the powerful housing court judgeship, and an array of Black leaders and elected officials such as Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, and the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, among others.
There are 13 judges on the largely Black Cleveland Municipal Court, including Scott, though the housing court judge operates independent of the municipal court and has a separate budget.
Several people attended her swearing-in ceremony this year, including Fudge, who spoke, former councilmen Johnson and Zack Reed, and several area judges, mainly Cleveland judges and a few general division common pleas judges.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper and Black blog. Coleman is an experienced Black political reporter who covered the 2008 presidential election for the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio and the presidential elections in 2012 and 2016 As to the one-on-one interview by Coleman with Obama CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
