Richland County Domestic Relations Judge Heather Cockley honored for service
A surprise celebration was held in honor of Richland County Domestic Relations Judge Heather Cockley's service to Richland County on Tuesday night at the Richland County Democratic Headquarters on the downtown square.
Cockley, the first female judge in Richland County history, in October announced she would not seek another term.
The two-term domestic relations judge would have been on the ballot in 2022.
"By the end of my term, I will have worked for the Richland County Domestic Relations Court for over 16 years (including four years as magistrate)," she said earlier in a prepared statement. "The first 14 years were extremely challenging and rewarding.
Cockley takes pride in being the first female judge in Richland County.
"It was first of all an honor," she said. "I like to believe that in some small way I have paved the way for other women to run for office."
In 2010, it appeared Cockley had lost the election to Republican incumbent Robert Konstam, who led by 44 votes on election night.
Once provisional votes were counted, however, Cockley won by 53 votes.
The judge said earlier what she will miss most about her job is the people.
Cockley pointed to three main accomplishments during her tenure.
"First, I began a review and sentencing program for child support cases, which has significantly increased the enforcement and court-ordered child support," she said. "I kept track of the increased enforcement of child support for three years to make sure that the program was successful, and it is."
Increase in child support collected
In 2017, the court collected more than $356,000; that amount increased to $442,000 the next year. As of November 2019, domestic relations court collected more than $564,000.
"This child support goes directly to the support of the children in our community," Cockley said.
The judge said she also started a children's class.
"The purpose of the class is to provide support and education to children whose parents are going through a divorce," Cockley said earlier. "Proof of the value of the class comes to me in the children's own words."
Tuesday, surrounded by all of Richland County's judges, numerous attorneys, friends, family and colleagues, Cockley said she has accepted a position as an attorney for Richland County Children Services.
Jeff Price and his wife Beth traveled from Lyndhurst to be with his "best friend ever."
Jeff Price, who served on Lexington council in the past, is now on the Lyndhurst City Council, and said he wouldn't have missed her surprise celebration.
Mansfield attorney George Keyser said Cockley "will go down as the best domestic relations judge we ever had," as he sampled some of the appetizers at the event in her honor at 4 p.m.
Keyser said she got the job done.
Cockley admitted, "They got me!" after receiving dozens of hugs in the room, midway shedding a few tears.
Cockley, who grew up in Cleveland, received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Johns Hopkins University in 1988. She went on to complete a juris doctorate at The Ohio State University, Michael E. Moritz College of Law in 1991. Prior to her election, Cockley had practiced as a private practice attorney and was a magistrate in the Richland County Domestic Relations Court from 2005 to 2009.
lwhitmir@gannett.com
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Twitter: @LWhitmir
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Heather Cockley to join Richland County Children Services as attorney
