Candidate Profile: Tess Neff For Lakewood Municipal Judge

Tess Neff

Age (as of Election Day)

58

Position Sought

Lakewood Municipal Judge

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Married to Rich Neff 35 years. Three children Angela, Nick (married to Brittany), and Steven.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My husband Rich works as a part-time assistant prosecutor in Strongsville and law director in Linndale.

Education

Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Juris Doctorate; Bowling Green State University, Bachelor of Science.

Occupation

I have been an attorney for 29 years in various positions. In 2015, I was unanimously selected by the six Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court Judges to be Court Administrator. It is a very difficult and challenging job to manage the court operations, 500 staff and address the complex legal issues that arise daily.

2007-2015 I served as a Judicial Magistrate in the Juvenile Court managing my docket, hearing and deciding thousands of cases, trials and applying the same criminal code used in Lakewood Municipal Court.

1996-2006 I served as a Judicial Magistrate and Acting Judge in Lakewood Municipal Court. For 10 years I managed my dockets, heard and decided thousands of cases, trials involving every case type including civil, housing, traffic and criminal cases.

1995-1996 I served as staff attorney for Judges Kenneth Callahan and Christopher Boyko.

1992-1995 I worked at a small real estate law firm, and represented clients in various municipal and state courts.

1985-1988 I served as a police officer in Houston, Texas.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Lakewood City Council Ward 1 representative.

Campaign website

www.tessforlakewood.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Ever since I was a Judicial Magistrate at the Lakewood Court, I dreamed of the opportunity to make a difference in my community as a Judge. I have always been in public service and I believe I could most positively effect our community as Judge.
The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The pressing issue facing the court is twofold: access and transparency. My plan from day one of my campaign has addressed these very issues. I am committed to implementing a "Help Kiosk" to provide resources and guidance about court processes for citizens, litigants and parties. It will alleviate some angst with coming to court, educate, and improve court access. Implementing evening court hours on a regular schedule will also aid to improve access. Further, I plan to implement data collection to measure case outcomes and demographics to aid in improved programming and guard against implicit bias.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My Judicial experience is the critical distinguishing factor. Only I have served as a Judicial Magistrate and Acting Judge presiding over thousands of criminal and civil cases and trials involving Lakewood residents for 10 years. I have heard and decided every type of case that comes through the Lakewood Court. My opponent has never decided a case. My combined experience of 18 years in a judicial position of trust is unmatched. The judicial experience coupled with my 6 years as a Court Administrator makes me uniquely qualified for the job of Judge. Further, I have longevity at my jobs which I believe speaks to me being a valued, dependable and trusted employee.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

N/A

How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I believe local officials did a very good job in response to the pandemic. Particularly because it was unchartered waters, and we had no playbook to follow. Essentially we were writing the pandemic guidebook. In my experience as Court Administrator, closing the court was not an option. We immediately partnered with the other common pleas courts, the board of health and medical experts to strategize a plan. We set staggered work schedules, staggered court hearings, ordered personal protection equipment for employees, and ordered technology to conduct virtual court hearings and to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

In addition to what I wrote above about access and transparency, my platform includes other plans to educate the community about the court. I will continue to be engaged in the community and I will conduct listen and learn speaking engagements at the schools, events, and in all four wards of the city. Transforming the court to full e-filing and a paperless court will improve efficiency and access. Implementing best practices training for all staff is an important investment. Customer service, probation transformation and diversity, equity and inclusion trainings are essential to progress the court. I believe it is important to devise a diversion matrix in conjunction with the law department. It will ensure that similar cases receive equal opportunity for individuals to participate in diversion programming.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I believe my legal career in leadership roles as a Police Officer, Attorney, Judicial Magistrate, Acting Judge, Court Administrator, and Councilwoman has extraordinarily prepared me for the Lakewood Judge job. My bond with the community is strong and long lasting. The fact I performed the same duties as the Lakewood Judge for 10 years, the very position I am seeking election, is the greatest accomplishment and strongest evidence that I can handle the very important responsibilities required of the judge. I already have the proven track record for compassion, fairness, integrity, the necessary temperament, and innovation which I will bring back to the court I served for 10 years.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

It is an old adage from my grandmother and it was quite simple. Sugar gets you a lot more in life than vinegar. Life is so much better if you are sweet instead of sour. I think applying this belief in my leadership roles has made me and those around me happier and more productive.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I bring a strong work ethic and stability to the job. I am honored to have been in positions of leadership and public trust my entire career working to help individuals. The Judge4Yourself consortium awarded me with the most Excellent ratings. My supporters are many including the police, respected attorneys like Jim Wooley, Henry Hilow and Kevin Spellacy, labor and other professional organizations and community members. My roots in Lakewood are deep. I continue to be engaged and involved in our city. If elected, I will bring extensive judicial experience, the appropriate judicial temperament, and compassion to the judge position.