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About Judge Beth A. Smith
Judge Beth A. Smith was first elected Judge of the Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court in November of 1996. She was re-elected to the bench in November 2002 and again in November 2008 without opposition. In November of 1988, Judge Smith became the first woman elected as a Judge in the history of Mahoning County when she was elected as a Judge of the Mahoning County Area Court, initially assigned to Sebring. Judge Smith graduated from South Range High School in 1974 and she obtained her B.A. Degree from The Ohio State University in 1978. She obtained her Law Degree from Ohio Northern University in 1983. The protection of children from the stresses of divorce and the enforcement of child support remain Judge Smith's top priorities.
Court News
September 28 , 2012: New Summons and Order to Appear form effective today: Judge Smith filed a Journal Entry on September 21, 2012 adopting a revised Summons and Order to Appear form which is effective September 28, 2012. The form revision is the result of Senate Bill 337 which made changes to R.C. 2705.031 which grants DR Courts the authority to grant occupational driving priviliges in cases involving contempt for non-payment of child support. The revised form is available in the Court Forms section of this website or by clicking on the following link: Summons and Order to Appear.
February 1, 2012: Amended Local Rules of Court take effect: Judge Smith filed a Journal Entry this date adopting amendments to the Local Rules of the Domestic Relations Court which were published for comment back in December. You can view or download the Rules by visiting the Local Rules section of this website or by clicking on the following link: Local Rules Effective 2/1/12.
About Our Court
Full Time Magistrates and Staff Attorney: In 1997, Judge Smith became the first member of the Special Divisions of the Common Pleas Bench to employ Full Time Magistrates to expedite decision-making and to better serve the public. She also employed a Staff Attorney to insure that Court decisions are well supported and reflect the current state of the law. Click here to meet the Court's Magistrates and Staff Attorney.
Family Services Department: In March 1998, Judge Smith established a Family Services Department to make the Court family friendly.
Hope House Visitation Center: In January 1999, Judge Smith joined with the late Juvenile Judge James McNally to become an early planner and strong supporter of the Hope House Visitation Center Project. The Court continues to provide financial support for this important program. Due to
a 2007 grant, there are no costs associated with the use
of Hope House for Mahoning County residents.
For Our Children: In April 2001, Judge Smith secured a $2,500.00 Grant from the Ohio Supreme Court to establish an Educational Program for children of families going through divorce.
Mediation: In October 2001, Judge Smith made Mediation mandatory for most families with parenting disputes, a program that has experienced great success and which earned Judge Smith recognition from The Vindicator as one of the Mahoning Valley's "People Who Made a Difference."
Pro-Se Divorce Program: Judge Smith has worked cooperatively with Northeast Ohio Legal Services to make no cost divorces available to qualifying persons with limited financial resources.
Domestic Violence: Petitions for Domestic Violence are given special priority by the Court, which works cooperatively with the VALU program of Northeast Ohio Legal Services to assist victims of domestic violence.
Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court
120 Market St.
Youngstown, OH
44503
Phone: 330-740-2208
Fax: 330-740-2503
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