OSBA honors Lucas County Judge James Jensen with Moyer Award; recognizes Hamilton County Juvenile Court with innovation award
Lead Summary
By
Ohio State Bar Association-
Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) 2020-2021 President Linda Tucci Teodosio was pleased to recognize judicial excellence in the late Judge James D. Jensen, formerly of the Sixth District Court of Appeals, as well as judicial innovation in a program led by Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge John M. Williams.
President Teodosio, who serves as judge on the Summit County Juvenile Court, presented the 2020 Thomas J. Moyer Award for Judicial Excellence and the 2020 Judicial Administration and Legal Reform Committee Innovative Court Practices Award as part of the virtual Ohio Judicial Conference Annual Meeting, held Sept. 10-11.
The Moyer Award was established in 2010 by the OSBA in honor of the late chief justice, who was posthumously given the inaugural award to recognize a current or former Ohio state or federal judge who displays outstanding qualities of judicial excellence including integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, professionalism, ethics, creativity, sound judgment, courage and decisiveness.
The clear choice this year was Judge James D. Jensen, who passed away on Aug. 6, 2020 at the age of 77, following an impressive legal career and tenure on the bench.
Judge Jensen earned his law degree from the University of Toledo. He worked in private practice and as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio before his appointment in 1995 to the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas. Voters elected him to that seat in 1996 where he served until his election to the Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals in 2013. On the bench, Judge Jensen was known for being thoughtful and fair. He had “quiet command” in his courtroom and ensured all were heard.
Judge Jensen also served on the OSBA’s Board of Governors and was a past president of the Toledo Bar Association. A staunch advocate for inclusion and diversity, he created the “President’s Diversity Appointment” at the Toledo Bar Association.
“Judge Jensen’s many nominations for the Moyer Award this year demonstrate the great respect he enjoyed among his colleagues and that he was the very model of the values we recognize in our greatest judges.” OSBA President Teodosio said.
She continued: “This includes humility.” Judge Jensen learned that he was this year’s recipient of the Moyer Award prior to his passing. He responded: “I’m not sure why I’m being awarded for simply doing my job.”
Judge Jensen’s award was accepted by his son Tim Jensen. You can watch the full presentation here.
This year’s Judicial Administration and Legal Reform Committee Innovative Court Practices Award was presented to the Hamilton County Juvenile Court School-Based Threat Assessments program, led by Judge John M. Williams.
As outlined by Angie Lloyd, former chair of the OSBA’s Justice Administration and Innovation Committee and current Executive Director of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, the purpose of the Innovative Court Practices Award is to bring greater visibility to exemplary programs in Ohio’s courts and facilitate the transfer of those programs to other courts in the state.
Award submissions are evaluated on criteria including creativity, the newness of the program, its effectiveness and whether the program addresses significant issues that are regional in scope.
Following the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 14, 2018, Judge John Williams directed the Hamilton County Juvenile Court to begin tracking school violence and to work with a clinical psychologist to develop new protocols for responding, assessing and intervening when juveniles are charged with an offense that involves targeted threats of violence at school.
The School-Based Threat Assessments program determines the right approach for these juveniles through evaluations that examine a wide variety of issues, from family functioning to social media activity, to customize an intervention plan. These threat assessments are completed by Dr. Nicole Leisgang, the chief clinical psychologist for the court.
“Judge Williams’ program considers a complicated issue and takes steps to determine its underlying causes,” President Teodosio said. “It is a proactive, affordable and truly replicable way to address individual needs of juveniles in the criminal justice system.”
The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University selected Hamilton County as one of its first community sites for the School-Justice and Diversion Pathways Fellowship Program. As part of this fellowship, the Hamilton County Juvenile Court’s work in designing threat assessments and intervention approaches will also be expanded to assist schools, law enforcement, child welfare and juvenile justice professionals in coordinating a response to violence in Hamilton County’s largest school districts.
View the presentation and Judge Williams’ acceptance here.
The OSBA annually presents the Moyer and Innovate Court Practices awards as part of its partnership with the Ohio Judicial Conference and always at its annual meeting. The OJC Conference was held virtually this year due to ongoing concerns around COVID-19.
The Ohio State Bar Association, founded in 1880, is a voluntary association representing approximately 26,000 members of the bench and bar of Ohio. Through its activities and the activities of its related organizations, the OSBA serves both its members and the public by promoting the highest standards in the practice of law and the administration of justice.
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President Teodosio, who serves as judge on the Summit County Juvenile Court, presented the 2020 Thomas J. Moyer Award for Judicial Excellence and the 2020 Judicial Administration and Legal Reform Committee Innovative Court Practices Award as part of the virtual Ohio Judicial Conference Annual Meeting, held Sept. 10-11.
The Moyer Award was established in 2010 by the OSBA in honor of the late chief justice, who was posthumously given the inaugural award to recognize a current or former Ohio state or federal judge who displays outstanding qualities of judicial excellence including integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, professionalism, ethics, creativity, sound judgment, courage and decisiveness.
The clear choice this year was Judge James D. Jensen, who passed away on Aug. 6, 2020 at the age of 77, following an impressive legal career and tenure on the bench.
Judge Jensen earned his law degree from the University of Toledo. He worked in private practice and as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio before his appointment in 1995 to the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas. Voters elected him to that seat in 1996 where he served until his election to the Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals in 2013. On the bench, Judge Jensen was known for being thoughtful and fair. He had “quiet command” in his courtroom and ensured all were heard.
Judge Jensen also served on the OSBA’s Board of Governors and was a past president of the Toledo Bar Association. A staunch advocate for inclusion and diversity, he created the “President’s Diversity Appointment” at the Toledo Bar Association.
“Judge Jensen’s many nominations for the Moyer Award this year demonstrate the great respect he enjoyed among his colleagues and that he was the very model of the values we recognize in our greatest judges.” OSBA President Teodosio said.
She continued: “This includes humility.” Judge Jensen learned that he was this year’s recipient of the Moyer Award prior to his passing. He responded: “I’m not sure why I’m being awarded for simply doing my job.”
Judge Jensen’s award was accepted by his son Tim Jensen. You can watch the full presentation here.
This year’s Judicial Administration and Legal Reform Committee Innovative Court Practices Award was presented to the Hamilton County Juvenile Court School-Based Threat Assessments program, led by Judge John M. Williams.
As outlined by Angie Lloyd, former chair of the OSBA’s Justice Administration and Innovation Committee and current Executive Director of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, the purpose of the Innovative Court Practices Award is to bring greater visibility to exemplary programs in Ohio’s courts and facilitate the transfer of those programs to other courts in the state.
Award submissions are evaluated on criteria including creativity, the newness of the program, its effectiveness and whether the program addresses significant issues that are regional in scope.
Following the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 14, 2018, Judge John Williams directed the Hamilton County Juvenile Court to begin tracking school violence and to work with a clinical psychologist to develop new protocols for responding, assessing and intervening when juveniles are charged with an offense that involves targeted threats of violence at school.
The School-Based Threat Assessments program determines the right approach for these juveniles through evaluations that examine a wide variety of issues, from family functioning to social media activity, to customize an intervention plan. These threat assessments are completed by Dr. Nicole Leisgang, the chief clinical psychologist for the court.
“Judge Williams’ program considers a complicated issue and takes steps to determine its underlying causes,” President Teodosio said. “It is a proactive, affordable and truly replicable way to address individual needs of juveniles in the criminal justice system.”
The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University selected Hamilton County as one of its first community sites for the School-Justice and Diversion Pathways Fellowship Program. As part of this fellowship, the Hamilton County Juvenile Court’s work in designing threat assessments and intervention approaches will also be expanded to assist schools, law enforcement, child welfare and juvenile justice professionals in coordinating a response to violence in Hamilton County’s largest school districts.
View the presentation and Judge Williams’ acceptance here.
The OSBA annually presents the Moyer and Innovate Court Practices awards as part of its partnership with the Ohio Judicial Conference and always at its annual meeting. The OJC Conference was held virtually this year due to ongoing concerns around COVID-19.
The Ohio State Bar Association, founded in 1880, is a voluntary association representing approximately 26,000 members of the bench and bar of Ohio. Through its activities and the activities of its related organizations, the OSBA serves both its members and the public by promoting the highest standards in the practice of law and the administration of justice.
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