Kirstene L Pscholka-Gartner

Question 1

List your judicial experience (courts and years)

Magistrate in Richland County Domestic Relations Court from January, 2011 through April, 2019

Chief Magistrate in Richland County Domestic Relations Court from April, 2019 through the present

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Question 2

What non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?

As the appellate attorney for the Richland County Prosecutor's office, Kirsten represented the State of Ohio in 202 cases in the Fifth District Court of Appeals, and 95 cases in the Supreme Court of Ohio. From her appellate work, Kirsten gained extensive knowledge about court procedure, the Ohio Rules of Evidence, the standards by which appellate courts review cases, and the importance of making a good trial record. This is knowledge Kirsten took with her to the bench and continues to use every day in her work as a Magistrate. When presiding over cases, Kirsten writes decisions knowing that they may be reviewed on appeal. Therefore, she is careful to thoroughly explain her reasoning, and the evidence and law on which she relied in reaching her decision. 

As an Assistant Prosecutor, Kirsten also handled delinquency, unruly, and truancy cases in the Richland County Juvenile Court, working with children who had often experieced trauma or other difficulties in their lives. This work pepared her for taking the bench as a Magistate in the Domestic Relations Court, where she makes decisions that have a major impact on children's lives, such as who they live with, what school they attend, and how often they see their mother or father. Kirsten gives those important decisions the same weight and consideration that she gives the most important decisions affecting her own life and family. 

Finally, Kirsten gained federal civil litigation experience by assisting the civil division of the Prosecutor's Office with pending litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

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Question 3

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

Kirsten believes that the families who come before the Domestic Relations Court deserve a Judge who treats them with compassion, fairness, and efficiency. Kirsten has done that as a Magistrate, and intends to continue doing so if elected as Judge. Kirsten has the expereince and vision to implement innovative solutions to complex family problems, and to deliver fair, family focused results. 

Kirsten is committed to continue issuing timely, thorough decisions that follow the law and the Constitution as written. This promotes confidence in the judicial system and allows families to have a sense of finality at the end of their case.

One of the Court’s most important responsibilities is to act in the best interest of the children it serves. Coming to court is intimidating for adults, let alone children. To help alleviate some of that anxiety, Kirsten plans to create a child-friendly space where the Court can conduct interviews with children. Kirsten also plans to expand the Court’s existing children’s classes, which currently provide support and education for children whose parents are going through a divorce, to address the needs of children of never-married parents who are involved in custody cases.

Many of the litigants and children involved in Domestic Relations cases have suffered trauma in their lives. Kirsten intends to create a trauma-informed Court by training Court staff, Guardians ad Litem, and Home Investigators to recognize the signs of trauma, and issuing orders for trauma-based assessments, counseling, or other treatment in cases where trauma may be impacting the parties or children.

Another vital responsibility of the Court is presiding over civil protection order cases. Kirsten believes it is important to address the underlying causes of domestic violence, such as addiction, mental illness, or anger issues. To do so, Kirsten plans to issue orders for mental health or drug and alcohol assessments, counseling, and the DOVE program, which is designed specifically for domestic violence offenders, in civil protection order cases. Kirsten also plans to hold Respondents accountable for complying with any ordered assessments, treatment or programs through review hearings.

Based on her experience as a Magistrate, Kirsten believes that having both parents involved in their children’s lives is generally beneficial to children, and involved parents are more likely to financially support their children. Therefore, Kirsten plans to remove barriers to parenting and strengthen parent-child relationships by working with the Richland County Child Support Enforcement Agency to include the Court’s standard parenting time order when child support is established if both parents agree.

Kirsten is committed to making the Court more accessible to the public and improving its efficiency. She plans to implement settlement days to encourage parties to settle their cases earlier in the process. This will reduce the cost of litigation for the parties, and will also allow other cases move more quickly through the Court. Kirsten also plans to continue using remote hearing technology when appropriate. Finally, Kirsten plans to upgrade the Court’s technology by implementing an electronic filing system, upgrading the Court’s audio and video recording system, implementing a digital evidence portal, and implementing a digital check-in kiosk and displays with docket and Court information in the lobby.