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Magistrate Thomas Freeman

Thomas Freeman grew up in Kent and graduated from Kent Roosevelt High School. He attended Mount Union College and graduated cum laude in 1979. He was accepted into the University of Akron School of Law and earned his Juris Doctor in 1982.

During his tenure in law school, Magistrate Freeman worked in the Akron City Prosecutors Office. From 1982 to 1984, Magistrate Freeman worked with the United States District Court and United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. He entered private practice at the prestigious Akron law firm of Roderick, Myers & Linton. He remained in private practice from 1984-91 as a litigator representing individual and business clients in personal injury and commercial litigation in trial and appellate courts throughout the State of Ohio. His work at the law firm also included significant practice in Federal Court litigation and employment and labor law.

He left the firm in 1992 when he joined the legal department of Charter One Bank with responsibility for litigation, compliance with federal regulation and corporate governance. Immediately prior to joining the Court as a Magistrate, he was associated with a Cleveland law firm representing clients in state and federal court litigation.

He came to Summit County Juvenile Court in 2004. Magistrate Freeman’s responsibilities include Delinquency & Status offenses, Juvenile Traffic, Dependency/Neglect/Abuse, Legal Custody and adult offenses filed in Juvenile Court. Magistrate. He is responsible for the New Paths probation docket dealing with developmentally delayed youth.

Magistrate Freeman is Treasurer of the Ohio Association of Magistrates and Chair of the Juvenile Law Committee of the Ohio Association of Magistrates. Magistrate Freeman is a member of the Juvenile Law and Procedure Committee of the Ohio Judicial Conference. Magistrate Freeman regularly presents continuing legal education programs for the Ohio Supreme Court Judicial College and the local bar association. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Riverfront YMCA.

Magistrate Freeman is an avid fan of high school and college basketball. He also enjoys running. hiking and traveling and he is an accomplished mountain climber, having scaled Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Whitney and Mt. Washington, to name a few.


He has been married to his wife, Francine, since 1984 and they have three children.

Bailiff : 330-643-7887 Zoom

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