Wanda C. Jones

Question 1

List your judicial experience (courts and years)

Judge Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court

2019, 2020 and 2022

 

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Question 2

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

Before obtaining my law degree, I worked in the financial industry for two decades. My work experience before 2012, includes being a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service and a preschool teacher. I worked full-time while raising my children and completing both my undergraduate and law degrees. 

In private practice, I handled a variety of cases including Family Law, Domestic Relations, Juvenile-Delinquency, Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency; Business Litigation, Probate Litigation, General Civil Litigation, Administrative, and Worker’s Compensation. 

I served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Ohio Attorney General's Office from Jan 2021- December 2021

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Question 3

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I served as a trial court Judge in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas for two years before being recently reappointed in December 2021. I am an experienced jurist who took on one of the most challenging dockets in our court. I have made a significant positive impact in terms of resolving some of the oldest cases in our county and bringing community partners in to provide on-site services in my courtroom. For example, Crisis Canines provide emotional support for victims, and other organizations provide case management, mentoring, and mental health services or enroll defendants for Medicaid. I have significantly reduced the number of pending cases on a large docket. I am dedicated to restoring public confidence in our courts. I have a judicial reputation for fairness, thoughtfulness, and independence. I believe in the rule of law and that Judges have a responsibility to ensure that politics stay out of the courtroom. 

I am a member of the Ohio Black Judges Association, Black Women’s Political Action Committee, Cleveland Association of Middle Eastern Americans, and the Irish American Law Society. I am most proud of sitting on the board of The Village of Healing in Euclid, Ohio.  I volunteer in my community in both formal and informal ways, whether teaching students at Mound Elementary school in Cleveland about how a trial works or volunteering with local food banks.  I am an active member of my community and focus my volunteer efforts where needed. 

 

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