Administrative & Presiding Judge Carla J. Baldwin

Bio

Carla J. Baldwin was elected as a Judge in Youngstown Municipal Court in 2017. She has served as Administrative and Presiding Judge of Youngstown Municipal Court since the fall of 2018. She presides over misdemeanor criminal and traffic cases and Drug Court.

The Judge received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Capital University (Columbus, OH). She earned her Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Lansing, MI), with a concentration in Litigation. She has been a member of the Ohio Bar since 2008.

She most recently worked as a full-time Magistrate in Mahoning County Juvenile Court, where she presided over Mental Health Court. Prior to this appointment, she worked for the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office as an Assistant County Prosecutor in both the Criminal and Juvenile Divisions. She is a faculty member for All Rise, the national leader in helping jurisdictions across the country ensure substance use and mental health disorders are addressed in treatment courts that promote treatment and recovery for our most vulnerable. Judge Baldwin is also a member of the Pretrial Practitioner Network with the Center for Effective Public Policy, which provides training and technical assistance to communities who seek to achieve fair, just, and equitable pretrial practices.

Judge Baldwin and her husband Brandon are proud lifelong residents of Youngstown.

Judge Carla J. Baldwin made history on November 7, 2017, when she became the first African-American female elected as judge in Mahoning County.

Boards and Organizational Commitments:

• The Butler Institute of American Art
• Mahoning County Corrections Planning Board
• Youngstown Warren Black Caucus
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Ohio Black Judges Association
• Inspiring Minds
• Mercy Health
• Raymond John Wean Foundation
• National Association of Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers
• Ohio Access to Justice Foundation - DEI Committee
• Youngstown Cityscape
• Ohio State Bar Foundation Board of Trustees

Leadership Roles:

• Officer – Ohio Judicial Conference
• Co-Chair –Traffic Law & Procedure Committee – Ohio Judicial Conference
• Chair – Membership Committee – Ohio State Bar Foundation

Awards and Honors:

• YWCA’s Board Member of the Year Award (2013)
• Mahoning County Young Professionals 25 Under 35 Award (2014)
• YWCA’s Outstanding Achievement Award (2017)
• Ebony Lifeline Support Group Inc. Community Service Award (2017)
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Epsilon Mu Omega Chapter Woman of Courage and Vision (2018)
• Diva of Distinction - Youngstown Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. (2018)
• Judicial Award from the Ohio Association of Magistrates (2018)
• Trailblazer of the Year Award from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity (2018)
• Ohio State Bar Foundation Community Service Award for Attorneys 40 and Under (2018)
• Inducted as an Ohio State Bar Foundation Fellow (2019)
• Inducted as an Honorary Member of Pi Sigma Alpha at Youngstown State University (2019)
• Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Phoenix Award (2019)
• Athena Award Nominee (2020)
• NASW Region 4 Public Elected Official of the Year (2020)
• Community Member Induction - Youngstown State University Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi (2021)
• Youngstown Warren Black Caucus Community Excellence Award (2023)
• Akron Canton Barristers Judicial Honoree (2023)

Past Community and Organizational Commitments:

• Nathaniel R. Jones Inn of Court
• District Trustee – Ohio Womens Bar Association
• Mahoning County Young Democrats
• Sojourner House Advisory Board
• Junior Civic League
• Junior League of Youngstown
• Mahoning County CASA
• YWCA of Youngstown
• Youngstown Chapter of The Links, Incorporated
• Ohio Young Democrats – Parliamentarian
• Kent State University Police Academy Advisory Board
• Opera Western Reserve
• Ohio Supreme Court Commission - Certification of Attorneys as Specialists
• Past President –Mahoning County Bar Association