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U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson discusses dreams and achievements
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: October 22, 2020
As a member of the federal bench in the Northern District of Ohio, U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson said she’s keenly aware of how her decisions impact the lives of those who come before her court.
“When I took the bench, I agreed to make other people’s problems my own and that’s what I do every day,” said Judge Pearson, who sits in Youngstown. “I take into account the positions of both sides before delivering my rulings. In criminal matters, I strive to impose fair sentences that are no greater than necessary and take pains to establish a path for successful reentry into society.
“Still, I am always cognizant of the fact that one side often sees itself as the winner and the other as the loser.”
While it is a difficult job, Judge Pearson said there is nothing she would rather do.
“The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once described her time on the bench as ‘the best and most consuming job a lawyer anywhere could have,’” said Judge Pearson. “While I am not a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, I agree with her assessment.”
The role of judge is one that Judge Pearson has aspired to since she was a young girl growing up in an inner-city neighborhood in Cleveland.
“One night I saw the police go to the house across the street from us and remove the older boy from the attic bedroom,” she said. “I never saw him again and I never knew the circumstances that led to his removal except that a judge decided he needed to be someplace else.
“Our community was not rich and yet it seemed as though someone was looking out for us. In my young mind, I decided that a judge was a person who took care to see that people were where they needed to be and I wanted to do that for others.”
Although not everyone took her dream of becoming a judge seriously, the late Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court Judge Leodis Harris did, inviting her to visit his courtroom so she could see what a judge actually did.
“He was a friend of my mother’s,” said Judge Pearson. “When I visited his courtroom, I remember that he had two robes, a black one and a denim one. He wore the black one when a juvenile was not doing well and the denim one when he was pleased with the juvenile. I thought it was very cool that he cared enough to express his pleasure and displeasure.”
As she worked toward her goal, Judge Pearson said she made the most of all her opportunities.
She received a scholarship at Hathaway Brown, a private school in Shaker Heights, Ohio, graduating with honors and going on to obtain an accounting degree from Georgetown University in Washington D.C.
“After graduation, I was eager to repay my educational costs, so I became a CPA (certified public accountant) and worked as an accountant for the Standard Oil Company, which later became British Petroleum,” said Judge Pearson.
Seven years later, Judge Pearson took her first major step toward fulfilling her dream of judicial service, enrolling and graduating from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
In 1995, Judge Pearson started as an associate at the prestigious McDonald Hopkins law firm in Cleveland. Afterward, she secured a clerkship with legendary federal Judge John M. Manos in Cleveland. Judge Pearson then went on to become an associate in the Cleveland office of the law firm Jones Day.
“It was the perfect job for me because I participated in taking litigation cases to trial,” said Judge Pearson. “During the time I was there I was involved in two trials, one in state court and one in federal court. The federal antitrust trial reignited my interest in federal court.”
Judge Pearson began the next chapter in her quest for public service as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Cleveland Strike Force.
“This elite unit focused on public corruption and organized crime,” she said. “After over eight years of distinguished service in the Strike Force, I was appointed to be a United States Magistrate Judge sitting in Akron.”
Two years later, Judge Pearson received the call of her lifetime when she was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as the federal district court judge sitting in Youngstown.
She was sworn in on Dec. 29, 2010, following the retirement of long-serving federal Judge Peter Economus. When she took her oath of office, Judge Pearson made history, becoming the first Black female federal District Court Judge in the state of Ohio.
Since taking the bench on Jan. 4, 2011, Judge Pearson has presided over a wide variety of criminal and civil matters.
“Many of the criminal cases involve drugs and guns, healthcare fraud and theft of government property,” she said. “While the majority of the civil matters regard federal questions such as discrimination, civil rights and intellectual property disputes, I also preside over contractual disputes and other state-law matters brought to federal court under diversity jurisdiction.”
U.S. District Judge James G. Carr, who serves in the Northern District of Ohio, has known Judge Pearson for more than 12 years.
“I was impressed with Judge Pearson from the moment I first met her, and I’ve never stopped feeling that way,” said Judge Carr, who sits in Toledo. “When she was appointed as a magistrate judge in Akron, I was delighted to call her and let her know the good news.
“I knew she would do a wonderful job,” he said. “We are not only colleagues on the bench, we are also friends. Judge Pearson is an excellent judge and a truly remarkable woman. She is one of the most well-read people I’ve ever met. We are fortunate to have her on our court, and the people of Youngstown are fortunate to have her as a judge.”
Although the Northern District of Ohio remains officially closed to the public due to the pandemic, Judge Pearson said justice is still being administered.
“While we have closed our physical doors, the court has continued to conduct business, initially telephonically and later by Zoom,” said Judge Pearson. “Our system of justice can never be put on hold. Our citizens rely on it.
“Our civil conferences and hearings are done utilizing Zoom and criminal matters, including sentencings, are also being conducted using Zoom, with the agreement of the defendant.
“Inevitably, at some point during the day we will experience a technical glitch, so it’s challenging but I don’t take my responsibility any less seriously and I do not allow others to do so either,” she said. “I try to set the right tone and be patient when technical glitches do occur.”
In late September, in-person criminal jury trials resumed in the Northern District of Ohio.
A longtime member of the Federal Bar Association, Judge Pearson is a founding member of the Nathaniel R. Jones American Inn of Court.
“Our mission is to educate attorneys, promote collegiality, and provide mentorship to newer lawyers by facilitating interaction between judges and experienced attorneys during monthly meetings.”
She is also a member of the American Law Institute, an inaugural member of Cleveland-Marshall’s Hall of Fame, and recently, Judge Pearson joined the board of the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown.
Looking down the road, Judge Pearson said her main goal is to continue to do her very best each and every day.
“I am always looking at ways to improve my jurisprudence and the way in which I articulate legal reasoning,” she said. “I study the law and apply it carefully.
“As a federal trial court judge, the cases are always different, with different fact patterns and applications of law. You rarely see the same case twice, which is one of the things I enjoy the most about my work.
“I am very grateful to be able to serve and add a voice to the important role that federal jurists play.”