JUDGE LINDA TUCCI TEODOSIO
The Court issues the following Orders in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. These orders are
effective June 1, 2020 and replace and supersede all prior orders issues in response to the pandemic.
1. Regular Court Hours will be from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
2. Attorneys who have been appointed as Guardian ad Litem (GAL) for a child and volunteers who have been appointed as a Court Appointed Special Advocate Guardian ad Litem (CASA GAL) are to continue their contact via electronic means whenever possible. \Vhen scheduling face-to-face visits, GAL's should take into consideration whether the child or the child's placement are individuals that are part of a high-risk population. All GAL's shall abide by the orders of the Ohio Department of Health and Summit County Public Health including, but limited to, physical distancing and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during face-to-face visits.
3. Beginning June 1, 2020, evidentiary hearings will proceed as scheduled unless a continuance is granted by a jurist. \Vhile parties, attorneys and witnesses shall have the option to appear personally for a hearing, the ability to participate remotely via electronic means such as telephone and zoom will be offered and preferred. Parties, attorneys and witnesses as well as Court staff are required to maintain physical distancing. Except as noted herein, a mask must be worn at all times. Court staff may remove their masks while in their private office or personal work space. A Plexiglas barrier has been placed around each bench and witness stands to allow for the removal of the mask of the jurist and witness while behind this barrier.
4. Parties and attorneys shall notify the Court whether they will be appearing in person or remotely and whether their witnesses will be appearing in person or remotely so that the Court can make appropriate preparations. This information shall be flied with the clerk at least seven (!) days in advance of the hearing and may be included in the party's pretrial statement.
5. All individuals entering the Juvenile Court Facility will be required to complete a health screen and have their temperature taken. If an individual has a temperature of 100.4 or higher they will be denied admission to the building. If any individual refuses to wear a mask, the jurist handling the case will be contacted to determine whether to proceed with or continue the hearing.
6. Initial delinquency, unruly and traffic hearings, other than detention hearings, and all pretrial hearings shall be held by telephone or zoom unless otherwise ordered by the Court. Instructions on how to participate in remote appearances will be mailed or emailed to the parties or their attorney.
7. Court group programs will resume effective June 1, 2020 with zoom as the preferred method of attendance. An individual may request the ability to attend a Court program in person by contacting the staff member conducting the program. The inability to attend the program remotely will not be the basis for a violation of the program terms.
8. Unless the hearing is required to be an open hearing (Bindover, Jury Trial or Serious Youthful Offender Hearing), the number of individuals attending hearings in person will be limited to the parties, their lawyers, the child's parent(s) and/or legal guardian(s), witnesses, victims and foster parents. Others may attend the hearings only with the approval of the Judicial Officer. In no event will more than ten (10) people be permitted in the Courtroom at a time. If the number individuals that wish to be present in person exceeds ten (10), the Court will make arrangements for the use of multiple courtrooms and zoom as appropriate. The option for a non-party to attend a hearing remotely will be permitted if the individual would have otherwise been entitled to attend the hearing but for the restrictions on mass gatherings.
9. Parties and Attorneys are urged to file via fax or mail whenever possible.
10. Guardian ad Litem reports will be made available for inspection through the Proware Attorney Gateway subject to the limitations of Summit County Local Rule 9.03(D).
11. Court Orders relating to supervised visitation at the Family Interaction Center (FIC) are stayed. Visitation shall resume subject to the ability of Summit County Children Services to operate and/or staff the FIC.
12. With the exception of the time within which an Objection to a Magistrate's Decision or a Motion to Set Aside a Magistrate's Order is to be filed or the time during which an Objection may be filed to a case plan amendment filed by Summit County Children Services (SCCS), all time provisions of the Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Juvenile Procedure and Rules Local Rules of the Summit County Juvenile Court that are set to expire between March 9, 2020 through July 30, 2020 are tolled until July 30, 2020 or until the Governor's the period of emergency ends, whichever occurs sooner. This tolling provision shall expire contemporaneously with the tolling Order issued by the Ohio Supreme Court on March 27,2020,
Welcome to the Summit County Juvenile Court Web site. My name is Linda Tucci Teodosio and I am privileged to serve our community as Juvenile Court Judge. I believe the Juvenile Court should be more than a mechanism of punishment for youth offenders who enter the juvenile justice system. The Juvenile Court will hold these children responsible for their actions, but the court should also seek ways to introduce the proper programming and guidance for these children to turn their lives around and become productive members of society.
By networking with the wealth of social service agencies in Summit County and enhancing, expanding and creating programs within the court, we can provide our at-risk youths with useful alternatives.
RECENT NEWS:
- List of Unclaimed Funds
- Summit County Juvenile Court Programs and Services
- Service During COVID-19
- Close-Up on Implicit Bias Slides and Video from the training on April 16th
- JUVENILE COURT PROGRAM RECERTIFIED BY OHIO SUPREME COURT
- COURT PROJECT EARNS FELLOWS CERTIFICATE FROM GEORGETOWN
- JUVENILE COURT'S PARENT PROJECT STILL SEEKING PARTICIPANTS
- Juvenile Court Honor Dorothy Jackson with Banner
- Court to Offer Second Session of The Parent Project
- Juvenile Court Detention Center Earns Re-Accreditaion
- PJE Just Us SFK Project Press Release
- Summit County Juvenile Court Women's Board Develops Web Site.
- Revised Local Rules are now available HERE.
- A Short Guide to Representing Yourself
- KIDS ASKED TO “SPEAK YOUR PEACE” AT SUMMIT FOR KIDS
- OSBA Honors Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio with Thomas J. Moyer Award for Judicial Excellence
- Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio Spearheads a Community Event that Promises to be Father Friendly
- PROFESSIONAL VISITATION SCHEDULE MODIFICATION
- Juvenile Court Receives Grants to Address Human Trafficking
- Court Accepted for JDAI Deep End Program
- Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio Receives C.J. McLin Award
- Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio along with Kathleen Skowrya of the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice are authors of "Judicial Leadership to Address Adolescent Mental Health Needs", an article published in the 2014 edition of Trends in State Courts
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