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Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio

Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio graduated summa cum laude from The University of Akron in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education before pursuing her Juris Doctor from the university’s School of Law, which she received in 1982.

Judge Teodosio entered private practice after graduation. She also served as a Magistrate in Akron Municipal Court and as staff attorney for the 9^th District Court of Appeals. In 1997, she was elected Judge in the Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court where she served until her election as Judge for the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division. She began her administration of the Court on January 1, 2003.

Her administration of the Juvenile Court has inspired widespread attention for its innovative approach, particularly in the areas of alternative sentencing and enhanced programming. Judge Teodosio’s concept of integrating mental health issues as a causal element in the genesis and treatment of substance abuse has gained national notoriety for the Court’s Crossroads Program. Among the other programs she has launched are the Family Resource Center, which provides case management and referral services for youth and their families facing the challenges of teen pregnancy, domestic violence, school-to-work and re-entry into the community following a commitment in a juvenile corrections facility. Additionally, she has implemented the Special Community Service Project, where misdemeanants are ordered, as part of their community service, to earn money to purchase toys, food and school supplies which will be given to the needy, and the Court in the Community, where curfew violators and truants have their hearings conducted in neighborhood community centers or their schools. Other programs and initiatives introduced to the Court by Judge Teodosio are Teen Court, the expansion of the Court library and subsequent reading and tutoring programs, a firearm education program and Project: Greenhouse Affect where youth in detention are taught the methods of gardening and landscaping.

In late 2007, the State of Ohio learned it was one of four states selected as a pilot state for the Models of Change Program coordinated by the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (NCMHJJ) and funded by a $100,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The state was required to choose a county with which to collaborate. In its grant application, the State specifically noted the Summit County Juvenile Court as an agent of progressive programming. It stated, “Under the leadership of Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio, the Court is more than a mechanism of punishment for youthful offenders who enter the juvenile justice system.” Judge Teodosio was also selected to be part of the Models for Change National Leadership Team and in January 2010, she was appointed to an advisory committee empanelled by National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University which will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the problem of substance use and dependence at America’s high schools. In July 2011, she became the first representative from Ohio to be invited to participate in Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform’s Certificate Program. Upon completing the intensive, week-long course, Judge Teodosio earned a place in the Center’s exclusive Fellows Network.

Her performance on the bench has gained extensive notice. In October 2011 she received the Outstanding Leadership Award from Mental Health America of Summit County as well as the Community Service Award from the Federated Democratic Women of Summit County.  In August 2011, she received the William P. Kannel Award from the CASA Board for her work with abused and neglected children.  In December, 2010, she was received national recognition as a “Champion for Change” from the MacArthur Foundation for her progressive approach on the Juvenile Court bench. The Court’s Crossroads Program, Family Resource Center and Responder Program were cited as examples of Judge Teodosio’s administration of the Court and how these programs embrace the mission of the Foundation’s Models for Change initiative.

She received the Friend of Children Award from Child Guidance and Family Solutions in March 2010 for her programming addressing co-occurring disorders. In October 2009, Judge Teodosio was the recipient of the Maggie Carroll Smith Award from the ADM Board of Summit County for the work done in The Crossroads Program. Also in October 2009, the Court learned it’s “Takin’ It to the Streets” initiative was named one of the top two programs its kind in the nation by the United States Department of Justice. In October 2008, she was the recipient of the Summit County Department of Job and Family Services’ Making a Difference Award for the many programs she has developed during her time on the Juvenile Court bench. The University of Akron’s School of Law recognized her in April 2007 with its prestigious Outstanding Alumni Award. In June 2006, Judge Teodosio received of The Distinguished Citizen Award from the International Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta for her outstanding work in Government and Law. It is the highest honor an individual can receive from that organization for professional achievement. Also in 2006, she received the National Catholic Educational Association’s Distinguished Graduate Award and the Council of Italian-American Society’s Achievement Award. Previously, in 2003, she was recognized as the Public Official of the Year in Summit County by the National Association of Social Workers, which also named Judge Teodosio as its Public Official of the Year for the entire State of Ohio the following year. She has received the Award of Achievement from the Six District Educational Compact and was the recipient of the Harold K. Stubbs Humanitarian Award for Government. Additionally, she has been named Business Person of the Year by the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce and one of the most influential women in Northeast Ohio by Northern Ohio Live magazine.

Judge Teodosio has served as a member or volunteer for over 50 civic and professional organizations, boards and committees, including President of the Board of Governors for the Akron Bar Association Foundation and The University of Akron School of Law Alumni Association. In 2008, Judge Teodosio served as President of the Akron Bar Association. She has also been a member of the Criminal Justice Advisory Board, the Catholic Youth Organization, First Friday Club of Greater Akron and the county’s Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board.

She was re-elected to a second term in November 2008.

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