“Achieving Justice” with Magistrate Kirsten Pscholka-Gartner, candidate for Judge of Richland County Domestic Relations Court

Magistrate Kirsten Pscholka-Gartner says that, in her 11 years serving as a magistrate in the Richland County Domestic Relations Court, she has learned that it is critical to address the underlying causes of domestic violence, such as addiction, mental illness, and anger issues.

She also has worked hard to treat the families who are before the court with compassion, fairness and respect.

In this latest “Achieving Justice” video, Magistrate Pscholka-Gartner talks about how, if elected, she will bring this experience and approach to the role of judge on the Richland County Domestic Relations Court. She is running in the election this November 8.  

“I was born and raised in Richland County, and my parents really instilled in me a commitment to public service,” she said.

After graduating from law school at Capital University, Magistrate Pscholka-Gartner quickly found her way into important roles in public service, arguing in both state and federal court at the trial and appellate levels. Not long after graduating from law school, while working in the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office, she argued a successful appeal of a speedy trial case to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Magistrate Pscholka-Gartner is most proud of her work in helping establish and presiding over a review and sentencing program for individuals who are found in contempt for non-payment of child support. She said by 2017, the program had increased annual child support payments to $356,000. In 2018, the figure rose to $442,000, and in 2019, they achieved $564,000 in annual child support enforcement payments.

She said she is committed to making the Court more accessible to the public and improving its efficiency. She plans to implement settlement days to encourage parties to settle their cases earlier in the process. She said this will reduce the cost of litigation for the parties, and will also allow other cases move more quickly through the court. She also plans to continue using remote hearing technology when appropriate and upgrade the Court’s technology.

Justice Brunner started "Achieving Justice" in 2020 during her campaign for the Ohio Supreme Court. The program educates individuals about Ohio's judicial system and the judges and candidates for judge who serve and wish to serve their state and community.

All the 2022 Achieving Justice interviews can be found here: https://www.justicebrunner.com/news.  

“Serving the people and the cause of justice is one of the most important callings in our democratic system,” Justice Brunner said. “I believe that the more information the public has about the courts, their judges, and judicial candidates, the stronger our system is.”

Justice Brunner is a candidate for Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court in 2022.