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YOUNGSTOWN -- Two attorneys with decades of legal experience are competing for the open seat on the Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court in the Nov. 3 general election.
Republican Mark DeVicchio of Boardman and Democrat Terry A. Grenga of Youngstown are seeking the six-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The winner will succeed Judge Beth A. Smith, who is prohibited from seeking another term under Ohio’s judicial age limit.
The candidates' party affiliations will not appear on the general election ballot.
DeVicchio, 60, defeated attorney Kathleen Bartlett in the May Republican primary by a margin of 56.5%, to Bartlett’s 43.5%. Grenga, 59, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
While both candidates have emphasized their experience helping families navigate difficult legal disputes, their professional backgrounds and priorities differ.
DEVICCHIO
DeVicchio has practiced domestic relations law for more than 35 years and manages the domestic relations practice group at Betras Kopp LLC, which he joined in 2016 after operating his own law practice for 25 years.
He previously served as a review officer under former Mahoning County Domestic Relations Judge John J. Leskovansky and later as a magistrate in the same court.
He has presided over hearings involving child custody, parenting time, child support, spousal support, property division, contempt and domestic violence.
DeVicchio earned a bachelor’s degree in English from John Carroll University in 1988 and a law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1991.
DeVecchio said his philosophy on life and law originates with the lessons learned from family at the dinner table.
“Those lessons played a big part in my decision to become a domestic relations attorney. I could think of no better calling than to use the law to help families deal with the most challenging times of their lives," he said. "For the past 35 years, that’s exactly what I’ve done."
DeVicchio said the court needs to do more to reduce conflict between parties involved in divorce and custody proceedings. He said false allegations of domestic violence and child abuse can further damage families already experiencing difficult circumstances.
“Unfortunately, I can no longer give my clients that assurance because today many litigants and their attorneys are not interested in seeking equitable settlements. Instead, they are willing to do or say anything to win,” DeVicchio said.
He said he wants to restore civility and respect for the rule of law in domestic relations proceedings while reducing procedural delays that increase anxiety, conflict and legal expenses.
His goal, he said, is to help families reach fair resolutions to disputes involving children, property and the end of marriages.
DeVicchio has been endorsed by Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 141.
GRENGA
Grenga has practiced law for 28 years with experience in criminal prosecution, defense work, domestic relations and juvenile court affairs.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in business and finance from Youngstown State University in 1994 and a law degree from the University of Akron in 1998.
“Every case on the Domestic Relations docket is a family at a turning point: a divorce, a custody schedule, a support order that has to work on a real paycheck,” Grenga said in September. “Those families deserve a judge who listens before she decides, and explains her decisions in plain language.”
Grenga worked as an assistant prosecutor for the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Offices in the felony criminal trial division from 1999 to 2006, and has operated her own law practice since 2006. She also served as an assistant law director for the city of Youngstown from May 2019 through January 2022.
She currently serves as defense attorney coordinator for Mahoning County Drug Court, working with Judge John M. Durkin to help participants obtain treatment and address problems that can affect their families.
Grenga also volunteers at the Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court’s self-help clinic, where she assists people who cannot afford attorneys with divorce, custody and support matters.
Although she has not served as a judge or magistrate, Grenga stated in her Judicial Votes Count candidate questionnaire that she has served as a guardian ad litem, representing children’s interests and making custody recommendations to the court.
Her campaign emphasizes courtroom experience, family advocacy, recovery programs and access to legal services.
“At the self-help clinic I meet parents trying to find their way through the court on their own,” Grenga said in a statement announcing an endorsement from the Communications Workers of America. “They are not asking for special treatment. They want to be heard, to understand what is happening, and to know the process was fair. That is the courtroom I intend to run.”
Grenga has emphasized the financial and emotional difficulties families face during domestic relations proceedings, particularly when they cannot afford legal representation.
Her campaign has received endorsements from the Mahoning/Trumbull AFL-CIO Labor Council, Communications Workers of America District 4, the Youngstown Warren Black Caucus and the UAW Northeast Ohio Community Action Program Council.