Judges & Magistrates

Judges

Kari L. Bloom
Administrative Judge
January 1, 2023-Present

Hamilton County Juvenile Court
February 14, 2021-Present

Judge Kari Bloom was elected in 2020 to serve the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Division for a six-year term, which began on February 14, 2021. On Jan. 1, 2023 she became the administrative judge, overseeing the day-to-day running of the court. Prior to her election, Judge Bloom was an attorney in the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office.

Judge Bloom has been a dedicated public servant since graduating from law school. She began her career as a contract negotiator for the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. That was followed by her service in the Office of the Ohio Public Defender. In the office, she served as a legislative liaison and parole attorney and testified in the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate on behalf of juvenile justice issues. She also investigated, prepared, and represented citizens in front of the Ohio Parole Board. Many of them had been transferred to adult court as teenagers.

During her time with the Ohio Public Defender’s Office, Judge Bloom served on several statewide boards and commissions, including the Ohio Supreme Court Sentencing Commission, Ohio Recodification Committee, Ohio Supreme Court Bail Committee, and Ohio Supreme Court Juvenile Justice Committee. She participated in systemic policy work to increase access to courts, reconcile conflicting laws, collect and disperse criminal sentencing data, and rectify the lasting effects of tough on crime legislation.

Stacey DeGraffenreid
Judge
January 1, 2023-Present

Judge Stacey DeGraffenreid was elected in 2022 to serve the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Division for a six-year term, which began on January 1, 2023. She has spent over 20 years in service to Hamilton County, professionally as well as mentoring, coaching and serving on community boards.

Prior to her election, Judge DeGraffenreid served the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office as chief assistant over the Juvenile Division. Previously, she was assistant chief in the Criminal Division, handling the most serious cases, including murder and sexually-oriented offenses. She practiced in Municipal Court and Juvenile Court, beginning her career with the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office, working exclusively with juveniles. Judge DeGraffenreid also worked in the private sector and was a sole practitioner.

Judge DeGraffenreid is a member of the Cincinnati Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. She obtained her law degree from the University of Cincinnati, and her Master of Education and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University Louisville, where she was captain of the women’s basketball team. Judge DeGraffenreid is a member of the Princeton High School Hall of Fame and has coached girls’ basketball and soccer in the Princeton school district and local communities.

As a Juvenile Court Judge, Judge DeGraffenreid believes the most important thing is to be fair and impartial and to approach each case with an open mind, based solely on the facts presented.

Magistrates & Administrative Staff

Magistrates are appointed by the Juvenile Court’s judges to preside over the daily case management in Juvenile Court. The powers of a magistrate are similar to those of a judge. However, their decisions and orders are reviewed and approved by the assigned Juvenile Court Judge of each case.

Administrative Staff

Deputy Chief Magistrates

Magistrates