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Anthony Donofrio to run for common pleas bench
RICHARD WEINER
Legal News Reporter
Published: March 15, 2018
Youngstown attorney Anthony Donofrio’s family has a tradition of sitting on the judicial bench in Mahoning County. With both his father and brother current and former members of the local judiciary, the younger Donofrio has announced his run for a seat in the common pleas court. He will run in the Democratic Party primary scheduled for May 8.
“My parents always taught the value of public service and of giving back to the community,” said Donofrio. “I would bring to the bench a family history of serving with honor and distinction without a hint of controversy.”
Anthony Donofrio is the son of former 7th District Judge Joseph Donofrio and the brother of current 7th District Judge Gene Donofrio, who has been on the bench since 1993. He has had a law career that includes both private and public practice. He currently serves as Youngstown’s deputy law director.
Mahoning Valley community and business leaders have known Donofrio as a person committed to integrity and community service.
Father Gregory Maturi, who was covered by CNN and other news outlets as the “crime fighting priest” for helping to clean up Youngstown’s south side, is solidly in favor of Donofrio’s run.
"I completely support Anthony Donofrio for Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge,” said Father Maturi. “During my time as pastor of St. Dominic's Church he was very instrumental in helping to remove blighted houses, reduce violent crime and rebuild our neighborhood on the southside. I can attest to his honesty, integrity and willingness to work hard for the good of the community."
B.J. Alan Co. general counsel William Weimer knows Donofrio well.
“He worked for me for five years,” said Weimer. “Coming from a family of lawyers and judges, he understands what a moral compass is. That is 90 percent of the battle in being a judge, and I have always been completely comfortable on that score with Anthony. He has the temperament to do this type of work. I am really excited about his run for the seat.”
Anthony Donofrio, 58, graduated from Ursuline High School and attended Youngstown State University, before receiving his bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University. He received his juris doctorate from The University of Akron School of Law.
His undergraduate major was biology/ zoology and he considered a career in environmental law. At the same time, Donofrio said that his very variegated legal career would be a strength of his on the bench.
In over a quarter century of private and public law practice, he has practiced trial and appellate work on both sides of criminal and civil law, practiced in domestic relations, bankruptcy, probate, real estate, governmental law, and in many other areas as a general law practitioner.
While at B.J. Alan (the company that makes Phantom fireworks), Donofrio both worked in the general counsel’s office and ran the company’s human resources division. When he left the company, Weimer had to hire two people to take his place.
In all of his law practice, Donofrio said that the influence of his father is predominate.
“He had a drive to help people that I really admired,” the younger Donofrio said.
He recounted that his father was a very early advocate of treating people with drug and alcohol problems with treatment before punishment. Youngstown’s Donofrio Addiction Rehab Men’s Center is named after him.
Donofrio said that he saw that his father’s position on the bench gave him the leverage to be able to help these and other people.
“He would probably not be able to do that from another position. That’s why I want to be a judge—to be able to do the same,” he said.
He has a long history of community service. Donofrio served on the board of directors for Addiction Programs of Mahoning County, has been a board member of Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes and a member of the board of Meridian Services. He has also served as president of the Youngstown Playhouse (helping to save that institution), legal advisor to the West Side Citizens Coalition, and served as chair of the Youngstown Board of Housing Appeals.
But serving as common pleas judge would be the capstone of his legal career, he says.
“Serving as a judge is something I have wanted to do my entire life,” said Donofrio. “Hopefully, this is the right time.”