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Late Judge Lisotto to get posthumous portrait

TRACEY BLAIR
Legal News Reporter

Published: July 2, 2015

The Mahoning County Bar Association’s tradition has always been to present a memorial portrait of each common pleas judge at the courthouse within a few years of the judge’s retirement.

However, somehow the late Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert G. Lisotto retired in 2004 and has yet to receive the honor.

Mahoning County Bar Association President J. Michael Thompson is making sure Judge Lisotto gets his proper place in history after all.

Bar Association members plan to present a memorial portrait of Judge Lisotto to the Mahoning County Courthouse at the annual Opening of the Courts Ceremony to be held Sept. 14.

“We’re actually a little overdue in presenting this one,” Thompson said. “The same studio that did the portait of (retired) Judge Charles Bannon a few years ago did this one, and I’m very pleased. It’s the same size and level of quality.”

The portrait was developed from a formal photograph taken during Judge Lisotto’s time in office. It is being printed, finished and framed by the Robert Senn Studio of Canfield.

In the past, memorial portraits have been paid for out of the Bar Association’s operating budget. Not this time.

“In my opinion, that practice and tradition began during a time when the organization had a larger budget, more lawyers were practicing in Mahoning County, and formal portraits were less expensive. So I broke with tradition and passed the hat,” said Thompson.

Attorneys from Thompson’s law firm, Henderson, Covington, Messenger, Newman & Thomas, contributed to the cause, as did those from Manchester, Newman & Bennett; Roth, Blair, Roberts, Strasfeld & Lodge and Friedman & Rummell.

“Those four firms each sent in a contribution big enough to pay for it. It was very kind and generous of them,” Thompson said. “Everyone liked and respected Bob Lisotto. It didn’t take any persuading.”

Judge Lisotto died on Feb. 16, 2012 at the age of 65. He was elected as a county court judge and assigned to Canfield court in 1988 and later to Boardman court. He was elected to the common pleas bench in 1996 and re-elected there in 2002.

The first video arraignments from Mahoning County Jail occurred in his court in 1997, a year after the new jail opened, according to his obituary. In 2004, he was inducted into the Mahoning County Democratic Hall of Fame.

Judge Maureen A. Sweeney took over the bench in July 2004 after the avid outdoorsman was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“He was having a difficult time functioning and was forced to retire,” said attorney John F. Shultz. “I think we’re all still shocked about that.”

Shultz and Judge Lisotto were longtime friends.

“He was very proud to have been elected a judge,” said Shultz. “He was a very good guy. Everybody liked Bob. He respected attorneys, and in return, the attorneys respected him. He was a guy’s guy. He had a cabin at Cook Forest, Pennsylvania where he’d go canoeing and fishing.

“He was a very fair judge – very understanding. He made sure everybody had a fair trial.”

Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge R. Scott Krichbaum was another close friend.

The current judge met Judge Lisotto in the mid-1970s when both were young lawyers.

“We went to Acapulco together,” said Judge Krichbaum. “Bob and I also used to go to judicial seminars in Columbus together with our wives. We also used to hunt geese and ducks together in the swamp and camp out. We used to go out at about 4:30 in the morning. Bob was always late and noisy. He scared the birds! It was a good time in life for all of us.”

He added that the late judge’s campaign motto, `Love That Lisotto,’ was very fitting.

““He was always kind and gentle. Everybody liked him,” Judge Krichbaum said. “He was a first-class gentleman. I’m delighted his portrait will be hung here in the courthouse to honor his service as a judge.”


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