Experienced magistrates are building confidence in the Ohio judiciary by offering guidance to the newest judicial officers about the responsibilities of representing a court and serving their community.

Sixty-three new magistrates took part in a recent orientation by the Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial College in Columbus. Magistrates are attorneys appointed by judges to assist them with a workload that exceeded two million cases statewide in 2022, according to case statistics submitted to the Supreme Court. The responsibilities and types of issues that magistrates manage vary from court to court.

“I handle cases that involve custody, parenting time, child support, civil protection orders, and domestic violence,” said Penny Gates, one of the state’s 883 magistrates.

Gates has served the Clermont County Domestic Relations Court for the last 27 years. Her duties include managing a docket, conducting hearings, issuing orders, and writing decisions. In each case, presiding Judge Mary Lynne Birck makes the final determination. The judge reviews the magistrate’s work, case evidence, and if there are any objections from the parties as part of her decisions.

Gates’ education and extensive experience in judicial process and domestic relations law mean she is uniquely qualified to educate new magistrates during orientation. She discusses technical components that come with managing cases and proceedings, and balances those with the customer service skills required to clearly and effectively communicate with the people who come to court.

“Magistrates need to be as responsive as possible to the people that come in front of them,” said Gates. “That includes being transparent about the process to prevent any confusion, misunderstandings, or feelings of unfair treatment.”

Providing clarity and a sense of fairness is vital for magistrates because they are often the first person on the bench that litigants encounter during a case. Gates stresses clear and concise writing as a critical tool for new magistrates so parties can understand the reasoning behind a decision.

“It’s crucial in the domestic relations realm when the people directly involved are children and families,” said Gates.

Her goal since serving as a mentor over the last decade is to instill confidence in each new magistrate so they can use their legal expertise and character to fairly serve the people who appear before them.

“Magistrates are really a reflection of their judges. The judges want things done and want things done right. Magistrates do the same thing,” said Gates.