Interview with Sarah Kovoor, Candidate for Trumbull County Judge for Common Pleas

I invited Sarah Kovoor to an interview over the phone in early October.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: First question — How did you end up in Trumbull County and why do you call Trumbull home?

Sarah: Well, I came here about 35 years ago. My youngest son is 35, and we came when he was a baby. My husband at the time was a physician. He worked at Cleveland Metropolitan General, did his residency there, and at University Hospital at the Veterans Center. He then got a job through St. Joe’s, and that was the initial reason for coming here. We chose Howland for the school systems. We were very happy with the schools. Our kids did very well and have come back to contribute to the soccer programs and other activities they’re still involved in. It’s a very nice community to raise a family.

Q: Why do you want to be a judge?

Sarah: I’ve been practicing law for over 25 years, both inside and outside Ohio I’ve seen how judges can make trials and outcomes fairer, avoid injustices, and prevent the cost and delay of remands by appellate courts. I believe I can use my years of experience from courts all over to improve the fairness and efficiency of trials here in Trumbull County. I’ve also seen what to avoid in some courtrooms, which I believe can be improved here.

Q: What kinds of cases have you done in the past, and what did they teach you?

Sarah: I’ve handled everything from juvenile cases to capital murder cases, in the local municipal, juvenile, family, and common pleas courts, as well as federal courts. Both on the state and defense side. I’ve also worked on constitutional cases and employment cases. These cases taught me that judges can significantly impact the outcome. The American people are realizing now how important it is to have fair and impartial judges. It’s not just about the jury; it’s also about ensuring an open-minded, fair individual is deciding the case.

Q: What do you think is the most important quality in a judge?

Sarah: Judges should maintain a presumption of innocence in criminal cases, be open-minded, and control the courtroom effectively. People wait years and spend thousands of dollars for their day in court. They deserve transparency, respect, and the opportunity to be heard. It’s also essential to ensure safety in courtrooms. There have been incidents like a judge being killed in his chambers or defendants attacking judges. A judge must de-escalate conflicts and maintain order while allowing all parties to be heard.

Q: Tell us about a judge you admire and why.

Sarah: There was a judge I practiced before this year in Columbiana County. I had three trials with him, and he’s fairly conservative. What surprised me was that we never went into chambers; everything was done out in the open with a court reporter. There were times when clients were waiting outside, and it was just legal issues being discussed by the judge with counsel, but it was still transcribed, creating a proper record for appellate courts and attorneys if they needed to share it with their clients.

I feel that using this protocol for every case, no matter the size, gives clients confidence that there’s no collusion or corruption. Transparency is critical in maintaining trust. Trust in courts and government in general has eroded, and when that mistrust affects local courtrooms, it’s troubling. It bothers me when courts, the third branch of government, start behaving like the first and second branches, like Congress or the executive branch, bringing politics into the courtroom.

Courtroom proceedings need to be open and fair, giving everyone their chance to be heard and ensuring that justice is done.

Besides that judge, Judge Scott Washam out of Lisbon in Columbiana County is someone I admire. I had three felony trials before him this year. He went through every single motion; I could tell he had read everything. I sometimes file 30–40 motions per case, and he was prepared. He kept an open mind, which is critical for running a courtroom properly. If I become a judge, that’s how I want to be.

Another judge I admired was Judge Tom Lambros, a dear friend who passed away a few years ago. He was a federal judge, one of the youngest common pleas judges in Ashtabula County before becoming a federal judge. The Youngstown federal courthouse is named after him. He was on the other side of the political spectrum — very liberal and active in his community — but he truly cared about people. When we co-counseled cases, he would greet everyone in the courtroom, from the people sweeping the floors to the magistrate, with a warm smile. That showed me a deep respect for the space and the people we dealt with.

Q: How would you conduct yourself differently than your opponent?

Sarah: I think we have the starkest contrast in terms of personality and demeanor in any race in Trumbull County this year. I stay away from social media when it comes to my work. My opponent, however, has been disciplined multiple times for inappropriate behavior on social media, including taking photographs in the courtroom and posting them, usually of defendants who haven’t been convicted yet.

Even if someone has been convicted, it’s not his role to comment or name them. As an attorney, you have ethical obligations — you’re an officer of the court. I think my demeanor and temperament would be very different from his.

My opponent has called individuals names online after work. While it’s his First Amendment right to speak, the disciplinary council has said that he has brought shame to the legal profession. I’ve never been disciplined in my 25 years of practice, whereas he has been multiple times.

There was a recent ruling from a federal judge remanding a case back to the trial court because of ex-parte communication between my opponent and the judge. This communication happened without the other party or their attorney present. In any legal dispute, you don’t want the other side talking to the judge without you being there. That’s what he did.

Now, a capital case is being remanded for sentencing, causing frustration, expense, and delay in justice for the victim’s family. In the same case, my opponent was disciplined for writing the journal entry for the judge. Judges are supposed to write their own journal entries, but he drafted it, and the judge signed it as if it were his own words.

When it was actually my opponent’s words, and this was the sentencing entry that was used until the other side found out and then filed an agreement. He was disciplined for that. So, I feel there are stark differences in how we conduct ourselves now and have conducted in the past. This will reflect how anyone conducts themselves in the future, including how defendants and litigants receive different outcomes facing a judge.

Q: How would defendants and litigants get different outcomes facing Judge Kovoor?

Sarah: Well, because my opponent has only been a prosecutor, not a judge. I have been both a prosecutor and a defense attorney, but I have not been a judge either, so I don’t have the data to compare. However, I can assure you I would be fair in the courtroom, for witnesses, victims, and participants. I would also require pre-sentence investigations when necessary, which are reports done by probation. They examine the family’s history, the individual’s educational background, and criminal history. I would ensure that all this is studied before issuing any sentence. I aim for fair sentencing, and I recall a case where both parents were charged with child endangering. In general, women receive lighter sentences for the same charge. While there may be concerns about who will care for other children in the family, I think it sends a bad message when gender influences sentencing, especially when all other factors are equal.

Q: You mentioned there might be differences in sentencing practices in Trumbull County. Have you studied that? Is there a difference?

Sarah: I know one of the Ohio Supreme Court justices, Melody Stewart, has requested statewide sentencing data, but I don’t believe that data is available yet. However, I think it’s a very appropriate request and should be explored. Another idea, though more academic and not directly affecting local courts, is the establishment of a “Defender General” in Ohio, similar to the Attorney General. Such an individual could provide sentencing statistics for the state.

Q: What is an issue that voters care about, and how would you seek to improve the status quo?

Sarah: One issue that voters care about now, which wasn’t as prominent five years ago, is medical freedom. I had a case where a father and mother, who had waited a long time for their first child, faced a situation. The mother had serious medical issues and had been on prescribed narcotics for years as part of her treatment…

Q: You want to change the way things are done in Trumbull County courts. What would you do differently?

Sarah: One thing I’d change is how we handle community service. There’s nothing stopping judges from going out into the community. For example, just this Wednesday, I was part of a panel discussing CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). These individuals act like guardians for children, usually in family courts. We had two amazing CASA executive directors, one from Portage County, and a mental health and drug coordinator with the courts. In our county, attorneys serve as guardians ad litem in family courts for private custody disputes or cases involving allegations of neglect, abuse, or dependency.

In contrast, other counties use volunteers who aren’t paid, they are monitored, are trained, and have 30–40 hours of service, not the 3 hours required by the Ohio Supreme Court. When a child gets involved in the court system, they can stay with the children even after the case is over.

These volunteers often maintain long-term relationships with the children, attending their graduations and weddings. This level of commitment is what I’d like to see in Trumbull County. Though CASA is predominantly used in family court, there’s no reason it couldn’t be used in common pleas court, particularly in child abuse cases where a child’s best interests are at stake.

Appointing a CASA volunteer to represent the child’s interests in such cases would be ideal. Many CASA volunteers have social service backgrounds, unlike attorneys, who typically lack the necessary psychological or family counseling training.

Personally, as a litigator, I know I don’t have the patience or skill set for that type of role. My personality is suited to dealing with conflict, not conflict resolution on a personal level, and that’s something essential for a guardian.

I deal with families in crisis, and I usually litigate, advocating for one side. That’s very different from being an advocate for the child who’s in the middle of the process. For example, a large portion of the Common Pleas General Division cases are criminal, though the majority are civil. Criminal cases impact someone’s liberty, so they take on huge significance in those courts. I think researching sentencing data, comparing how Trumbull County differs in sentencing from other counties, and considering factors like affluence, race, and ethnicity are important.

Community service is also important. I think going out into the community and having discussions with people impacted by the criminal justice system — victims, defendants, and their families — is crucial. We can have community leaders listen and discuss how we can improve the system.