Judge Deborah J. Nicastro
Judge Nicastro was elected in 1993 and took office as a Garfield Heights Municipal Court Judge on January 2, 1994. Currently she serves as the Presiding and Administrative Judge of the Court.
- Experience
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- Judge of the Garfield Heights Municipal Court-1994 to present
- Private Attorney-Law Office of Deborah J. Nicastro, Criminal and Civil Litigation, Real Estate, Public Contracts 1984-1994
- Law Director and Prosecutor for the Village of Grafton, Lorain County, Ohio
- Associate Attorney-Wuliger, Fadel & Beyer, Associate Attorney, Criminal & Civil Litigation, Labor Law-Labor Representative, Appellate Practice 1979-1984
- Education
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- 1996–1997, Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead Society of Professional Fellows
- 1976–1979, Case Western Reserve University, School of Law, Juris Doctor Degree
- 1972–1976, Cleveland State University, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science
- Past Service to the Ohio Judiciary
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- Ohio Judicial Conference Community Outreach and Public Confidence Committee
- Ohio Judicial Conference’s Technology Committee
- National Association of Women Judges-District 7 Director
- Member of the Executive Board of the Ohio Judicial Conference
- Chair of the Publications Committee of the Ohio Judicial Conference
- Chair of the Ohio Local Budget Collobrative of the Ohio Judicial Conference
- Editor of the OJC Budget Resource Handbook
- Instructor for the Ohio Judicial College on the Local Budget Process for Judges and Court Managers
- Member of the Court Administration Committee of the Ohio Judicial Conference
- Chair of the Judicial Administration Committee of the Association of Municipal and County Judges of Ohio
- Service to the Ohio Legal Profession
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- Co-Author of the 8th Edition Ohio Driver's License Reinstatement Handbook A Practical Guide for Attorneys
- Former Chair of the Cuyahoga County Bar Association's Municipal Court Committee
- Guest Lecturer for Continuing Legal Education Programs on Domestic Violence, Traffic Law and LEADS Interpretation, Professionalism, Law Updates for Mayor's Court Clerks, OVI, Electronic Courts and Driver's License Reinstatementr
- Beyond the Bench
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- Past Community Service
- President of the Independence Kiwanis Club
- President of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary Post 3483
- President of the Senior Citizens of Independence, Ohio
- President of the Garfield Heights Chamber of Commerce Charitable and Educational Foundation
- Trustee for the former St. Michael’s Federal Credit Union 1999-2004
- Member of Board of Directors of the Weatherhead Society of Professional Fellows
- Garfield Heights Family Violence Task Force
- Garfield Heights City Schools’ Substance Abuse and Violence Elimination Task Force 1996-2004
- Garfield Heights Family Violence Coordinated Community Response Team
- Guest Lecturer for the United Steel Workers of America AFL-CIO
- Judge of the Alternative Juvenile Program of the Garfield Heights City Schools
- President of the Garfield Heights Kiwanis Club
- Membership Chair of the Independence Kiwanis Club
- Kiwanis Advisor to the Cuyahoga Community College Circle K Club
- Kiwanis Advisor to the Independence High School Key Club
- Advisory Council for the Italian American Collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society
- Co-Founder and Steering Committee Member of the Italian American Women's Network
- Program Planner for the Silver & Gold, Inc.
- Marymount Hospital Community Advisory Committee
- Past Community Service
- Memberships
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- Professional Memberships
- Ohio Judicial Conference
- Association of Municipal and County Judges of Ohio
- Ohio State Bar Association
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Weatherhead Society of Professional Fellows
- CWRU School of Law’s Silver Barrister Circle
- Service Organization Memberships
- Independence Kiwanis Club
- Professional Memberships
- Bar Admissions
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- United States Supreme Court
- Supreme Court of Ohio
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth District
- United States Tax Court
- Awards
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- Freedom Award from the American Nationalities Movement 2014
- Association of Municipal and County Judges of Ohio President’s Award for Judicial Excellence 2013
- Public Service Award from the Cleveland Italian American Heritage Committee 2012
- Columbian of the Year from the Federation of Italian American Societies 1994