GUEST COLUMN: Grendell Remains True to Himself
I read with interest my former colleague’s letter to the editor (Geauga Maple Leaf, June 15, 2017), remembering the Geauga County Probate/Juvenile Court’s former judge. Unfortunately, it seems that she inappropriately used the sixth anniversary of his passing to make a passive aggressive assertion about the current judge.
If one were to believe only the spin from agenda-driven media, and false accusations of local politicos including this seemingly disgruntled former employee, it makes sense how one could come to that conclusion. And it is true that a “go along to get along” attitude would certainly avoid controversy, if that is what Geauga County residents wish from their elected officials.
The letter ended with this powerful statement: “[Judge Henry’s] demonstrative example of selflessness, dedication and ethics lives on.”
That it does.
During the nearly six years that Tim Grendell has served as judge, the Geauga County Juvenile and Probate Courts have improved operational efficiency, and both courts have been recognized for the judicial services provided to the county’s seniors, families and children.
Since I began serving as the Budget/Fiscal Director for both courts, through a combination of overhead reduction and increased revenue from non-tax funded grant sources, we have cut tax-funded operating expenses by 4 percent for the Probate Court and a whopping 30 percent for the Juvenile Court, while providing more services for residents.
In the Juvenile Court, the Family Life Improvement Program (FLIP), initiated by Judge Grendell in 2014, now has a 90 percent success rate with the reunification of Geauga County families, and this year has added Parent Mentoring services to teach parenting skills that will help parents successfully retain custody after reunification.
In the same year, Judge Grendell also started the Court’s Community Garden, where youth on probation can fulfill their court-ordered community service by tilling, planting, watering, and harvesting crops at the garden in Hambden. Each fall, the crops are donated to Geauga County food banks and senior centers.
Launch Pad, established in December 2015, assists Geauga County foster youth turning 18 in developing a career plan, scheduling college visits, completing college financial aid applications, and connecting them with host families over holiday breaks. This year, Launch Pad and CASA collaboratively helped two Geauga County foster youth earn full scholarships to Cleveland State University.
Prior to the Court’s new Supervised Visitation program, Geauga County Job and Family Services would only schedule court-ordered supervised parent/child visits during regular business hours, requiring parents to take time off work and children to miss school. The Court’s Supervised Visitation program now allows parents and children to conduct supervised visits after work/school hours and even on weekends, so that parents no longer jeopardize their case plan by taking time off work and children can attend school uninterrupted.
Judge Grendell has also implemented mediation as a standard protocol in custody cases, Geauga Learn for sixth-graders to visit the Fair and learn about agriculture, Start With Hello to combat bullying in Geauga County schools, and restorative justice programs to address behavior issues in school before they reach a level that would find them in front of the court.
In 2013, the Ohio Association of Juvenile Court Judges recognized the responsible adjudication of the Chardon school shooting case by awarding Judge Grendell with the Distinguished Service Award.
Also in 2013, CASA volunteers received the Roger Morris Volunteer Helping Hand Award from the Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services.
CASA has consistently grown year after year, going from 50 volunteers in 2012 to almost 70 volunteers who contributed over 8,000 volunteer hours in 2016.
The Probate Court’s Good Deeds Program, implemented in Geauga County by Judge Grendell and Recorder Sharon Gingerich in 2012, has taught seniors across the county how to set up their estates to avoid costly and lengthy probate. As a result, in 2013 the Probate Court received the Geauga County Outstanding Senior Citizen Supporter of the Year award from the Geauga County Department on Aging.
This year Judge Grendell started the Good Deeds for Young Adults program to encourage graduating high school seniors to start thinking about current and future assets as they enter adulthood.
The Probate Court is currently developing a Guardianship Visitation program, in which volunteers will visit the county’s most vulnerable elderly citizens who are wards of the court, to ensure they are receiving proper care from their guardians.
This month, Judge Grendell was unanimously elected by fellow Probate Court judges across the state of Ohio as the Secretary/Historian of the Ohio Association of Probate Judges (OAPJ), which operates for educational and charitable purposes and is comprised of all judges in Ohio with probate court jurisdiction.
In addition to this new position, Judge Grendell also serves as the Vice President of the Ohio Association of Juvenile Court Judges (OAJCJ), is a member of the Ohio Judicial Conference Executive Board, and is the Presiding Judge of the Geauga County Common Pleas Court.
As a former State Senator and now as Judge, the courage of Tim Grendell to do what is right for Geauga County, standing against those who wish to take advantage of its residents, is unsurpassed. His decisions are based on law, equal justice, and his conscience. I imagine he would agree with Frederick Douglass who said, “I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.”
Anyone interested in volunteering to help the community through one of these good programs can contact the court at (440) 279-1830.
Kimberly Laurie
Budget/Fiscal Director & County Liaison
Geauga County Probate Juvenile Court
