Stark Criminal Defense Attorney

Stark County Court of Common Pleas Judges

Honorable Kristin G. Farmer, Judge
Honorable Frank G. Forchione, Judge
Honorable Natalie R. Haupt, Judge
Honorable Taryn L. Heath, Judge
Honorable Chryssa N. Hartnett, Judge

Stark County Courthouse
101 West Tuscarawas St.
Canton, Ohio 44702
(330) 451-7931

Hours of Operation: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday, except on federal holidays.

Comments

Judge Farmer is the daughter of Judge Sheila Farmer, of the 5th District Court of Appeals. She was appointed to the Stark County Common Pleas Court in 2012 by Governor John Kasich. Before becoming a judge, she worked in Alliance as an assistant city prosecutor, after which she became a Common Pleas Court magistrate.

Judge Forchione was the 2018 recipient of the Jurist of the Year award from the Ohio Association for Justice. He is known for being fair and making sure both sides are able to plead their cases and get a fair trial. He was elected to the bench in 2009 and re-elected in 2014.

Judge Haupt took her seat on the Common Pleas Court bench in April of 2019. Prior to her election to the court, she worked as a magistrate for the retiring judge whose seat she was elected to. She also has experience as an assistant public defender. She is a resident of Hartville.

Judge Heath has 35 years of experience in the area of law. She was a municipal court magistrate in Canton for 13 years, an assistant attorney general for six years, a prosecutor for two years, and worked in private practice for 25 years. She was appointed to the Stark County Common Pleas Court in 2007 by then-governor Ted Strickland. She was elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2014.

Judge Hartnett was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2016. Prior to her election, she served as the Assistant Chief of Criminal Division in Stark County’s Prosecutor’s Office, and Magistrate of the Common Pleas Court for three months in 2005. In 2018, she was named President of Stark County’s Bar Association.

Stark County Municipal Courts Alliance Municipal Court

Honorable Andrew L. Zumbar, Judge

470 East Market St., Room 16
Alliance, Ohio 44601
(330) 823-6600

Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM except holidays

Comments

Judge Zumbar took his seat on the bench in 2014. Before he became a judge, he spent 22 years as an attorney in private practice in Alliance. He is a native of that city, graduating from Alliance High School, Mount Union College, and Case Western Reserve University School of Law. In addition to his private practice, Judge Zumbar also spent 13 years as Sebring’s Assistant Solicitor, and Law Director for the city of Alliance.

Canton Municipal Court

Honorable Mary A. Falvey, Judge
Honorable John A. Poulos, Judge
Honorable Richard J. Kubilus, Judge
Honorable Curt Werren, Judge

218 Cleveland Ave., S. W.
P.O. Box 24218
Canton, Ohio 44701-2418
(330) 438-4210

Hours of Operation: 8 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday; Night Court is held the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month starting at 5:15 PM only for minor misdemeanors.

Comments

Judge Falvey took the bench in 1991. Prior to that, she was in private law practice in Canton, specializing in civil litigation. Before she became a lawyer, she was a social worker at Massillon State Hospital.

Judge Poulos is a Canton native. He has experience in factory work, having been employed by Diebold, Inc. after high school. After law school, he worked for the Canton Municipal Court as Chief Prosecuting Attorney. He was also in private practice for a while. He was elected to his current position in 1994.

Judge Werren previously served the Stark County Court of Common Pleas as a judge. He is a Canton native and is active in the community. He lives in the county with his wife and teenaged triplets.

Massillon Municipal Court

Honorable Edward J. Elum, Judge
Honorable C. Roland Centrone, Judge

Two James Duncan Plaza, Box 1040
Massillon, Ohio 44648
(330) 832-1730

Hours of Operation: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday

Comments

Judge Elum was elected in 1995 and re-elected for each subsequent term. He has been a resident of Stark County his entire life. He has won many awards for his community service.

Judge Centrone was elected in 2008. He has previous experience as magistrate, a position he held for 18 years. He has additional experience as an attorney in private practice.

District Attorney District Attorney John D. Ferrero

Stark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
110 Central Plaza South, Suite 510
Canton, Ohio 44702
(330) 451-7897