Montgomery County juvenile court judge introduces himself to Moraine council, seeks partnership on juvenile justice

Judge Nicholas Sylvain of the Montgomery County Juvenile Court introduced himself to the Moraine City Council on July 9 and asked to establish lines of communication between the court and local stakeholders. Sylvain said he recently became a juvenile court judge and described his background — an engineering degree from the University of Dayton, law school, nine years as a felony prosecutor and 23 years as a domestic-relations magistrate — and said he previously worked with children and families in domestic relations matters.

"I just wanna come here and introduce myself so that down the road, we can have those communications, and we can have those discussions about the issues of juvenile justice that are shared concern to all of us," Sylvain said. He noted juvenile justice involves many partners, including the local police department and school districts, and mentioned interest in discussing issues such as e-bikes and cooperation between the court and city stakeholders.

Why it matters: A newly seated juvenile court judge reaching out to city leaders can facilitate local problem-solving, improve referrals or information-sharing about youth-related incidents, and help ensure locally grounded approaches to juvenile justice.

What’s next: Judge Sylvain indicated willingness to return for focused discussions on particular juvenile-justice topics if council or stakeholders identify matters to address.