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Juvenile Court Judge Teodosio marks a milestone in her career
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: February 17, 2023
It’s been about 20 years since Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio first took the bench in January 2003.
Now the longest-serving juvenile court judge in Summit County history, Judge Teodosio said she’s proud of the team she has assembled, whose members she said have played a key role in assisting her in developing resources that have helped to successfully rehabilitate children and reunify families.
“I think the court has always taken the stance of meeting people where they are and providing them with the tools they need to get on track,” said Judge Teodosio. “In many cases, this involved treatment for mental health and chemical dependency, but we have also provided assistance to human trafficking victims and helped families access community resources, including those that can help people with their basic needs.”
At the beginning of 2022, the court announced that three of the specialized dockets that Judge Teodosio introduced were recertified by the Ohio Supreme Court, including Crossroads (an intensive probation program for juveniles with a mental health and/or substance use disorder), Family Reunification through Recovery Court (works with court-involved families to address substance use and other challenges to help them reunite) and Restore Court (a program for juvenile victims of human trafficking and those at high risk of being trafficked, which provides services and support to help them heal and get back on track).
Most recently Judge Teodosio added a dedicated staff member to work with court-involved veterans.
“Our veterans resource case manager can direct military veterans to the resources that they have earned through their military service which can assist them in gaining or maintaining custody of their children,” said Judge Teodosio.
With her current and final term on the bench ending Dec. 31, 2026, the judge has a number of items on her to-do list before she steps down.
“I will be 70 at the end of my term and under the Ohio Constitution I cannot run again,” said Judge Teodosio. “I am leaving the next judge with a good foundation in place, but there are still many issues to tackle, including the escalating gun violence in the community.
“I am going to do whatever I can to curtail the problem along with developing new programs that respond to the changing needs of the community.”
Looking back on her career Judge Teodosio said she’s grateful to have been able to make a positive impact in many different arenas.
A native of Canton, Ohio, Judge Teodosio received her bachelor’s degree in education and her juris doctorate from The University of Akron. She began her career as an associate at Nukes & Perantinides Co. (now Perantinides & Nolan Co.).
Prior to taking the juvenile court bench in 2003, she served as a Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court judge.
Her efforts as a judge to start programs that divert youth away from the juvenile justice system have led to a number of appointments to statewide and national panels, committees, commissions and task forces, including a fellowship at the Georgetown University Public Policy Institute’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform.
She’s also a former member of Columbia University’s National Advisory Commission on Substance Abuse at America’s High Schools and served on the Coalition for Juvenile Justice’s Project SOS (Safety, Opportunity & Success (SOS): Standards of Care for Non-Delinquent Youth) Judges Leadership Group.
Summit County Juvenile Court Director of Communications Don Ursetti described Judge Teodosio as “a true visionary,” adding “Some of the innovations she has introduced to the juvenile justice system locally have had national reach.
“She is always exploring ways to improve the manner in which the juvenile court can assist youth and their families while never losing sight that accountability serves only to strengthen the community and enhance public safety,” said Ursetti.
Throughout her career, she has been active in bar associations at the state and local levels.
Judge Teodosio is a former president of the Ohio State and Akron Bar associations, a former Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) Board of Governors District 11 representative and a past president of the Akron Bar Foundation, to name but a few of the positions she’s held.
An Ohio State Bar Foundation fellow, Judge Teodosio has received countless accolades, including the OSBA’s Thomas J. Moyer Award for Judicial Excellence and the prestigious St. Thomas More award.
The judge lives in Munroe Falls with her husband, 9th District Court of Appeals Judge Thomas Teodosio. Their son Christopher Teodosio is a partner at Brouse McDowell and the president of the Andrea Rose Teodosio Foundation, a nonprofit the family started in memory of their late daughter Andrea Rose, who was killed in a skiing accident in 2011 at the age of 22.
With approximately four years left on her term, Judge Teodosio said she hasn’t given much thought to what she’ll do in the future.
“I hope I will travel and spend more time with my granddaughters,” said Judge Teodosio. “I am sure I will continue to volunteer in the legal field and hopefully another opportunity will present itself that will allow me to continue to contribute to the community.”