Login | November 14, 2025
Judge receives award for recovery-focused justice efforts
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: November 14, 2025
Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Joy Malek Oldfield has spent much of her legal career working to help those with substance use disorders receive treatment and become productive members of the community.
She’s served as presiding judge of the general division’s Turning Point Program since 2017, the county’s only adult felony drug court.
The program offers support and services to those with substance use disorders who’ve become involved in the criminal justice system to assist them in gaining long-term sobriety and changing their behaviors so they can obtain employment and housing and improve their overall life circumstances.
Under her leadership, the specialized docket brought in the court’s first therapy dog, Tank, to help participants reduce stress levels and feel more comfortable in the court setting.
That’s not all. She’s also founded Faith in Recovery, enabling willing individuals to make a spiritual connection during their recovery journeys, and assisted with Y-Strong, which offers access to area YMCA facilities to those in the program.
Her efforts have earned her recognition and accolades from quite a few organizations over the years.
Last month she was presented with the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADM) Board’s Dr. Robert M. Smith Innovation Award, which recognizes people who stand out for their unique and creative approaches to treating and serving those with substance use disorders.
Judge Oldfield received the accolade on Oct. 9, during the Trailblazer Awards Dinner, which was held at the John S. Knight Center in Akron. Three other individuals were also honored during the event for their positive impacts on the mental health and substance use disorders fields.
“Judge Oldfield’s innovative approach to rehabilitation over incarceration has been a true game changer here in Summit County,” said Summit County ADM Board Executive Director Aimee Wade. “From the Y-Strong program to her work with the Turning Point Program, she focuses her attention on all aspects of recovery, and the supports people need to be successful.
“Joy Oldfield helps to change people’s lives, and she relies on innovation to help individuals find the right path for them. These are just some of reasons why she is a deserving recipient of the Dr. Robert M. Smith Innovation Award.”
“I was very humbled by the award,” said Judge Oldfield. “It was wonderful to be acknowledged for this passion of mine. I have poured my heart and soul into the Turning Point Program to find new ways of meeting people’s needs.
“We recently started offering post-graduate peer support to participants after receiving a grant to create an alumni group. We hired one of our graduates to coordinate the group. Our alumni offer additional motivation and support to those who are currently in the program.”
The Akron native received her bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in criminology from John Carroll University.
After earning her juris doctor from The University of Akron School of Law in 2000, Judge Oldfield spent 11 years handling civil litigation, initially at Scanlon & Gearinger Co., and then with attorneys John Hill and Kevin Hardman at Hill Hardman Oldfield.
In 2011, she left private practice to serve as a magistrate/judicial attorney in the general division of the Summit County Common Pleas Court under then Common Pleas Court Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer (now Probate Court judge). That same year, she was elected to Akron Municipal Court.
At Akron Municipal Court, she served as administrative/presiding judge in 2015 and 2016. She also revamped and presided over the drug court from 2013-2016.
Judge Oldfield was elected to the common pleas court in November 2016 to fill the remainder of Judge Tom Parker’s term, who resigned to become a magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
She was later elected to a full term in 2020 and was the court’s administrative judge from 2022-23.
A longtime member of the Ohio State and Akron Bar associations, Judge Oldfield is an Akron Bar Foundation fellow.
She’s also a longtime member of the Ohio Common Pleas Judges Association (OCPJA), where she is second vice president, education chair and a board member.
Judge Oldfield is currently serving a three-year term on the board of trustees of the Ohio Judicial College, which she started at the beginning of the year.
Judge Oldfield is also an adjunct professor at Akron Law, where she teaches Pretrial Advocacy and developed a course entitled Problem Solving Courts.
She served almost a decade as an advisory board member for the Women’s Endowment Fund at Akron Community Foundation and is a lifetime member of the NAACP.
In addition to speaking at annual OCPJA conferences and at the Ohio Supreme Court’s New Judge Orientation, she presented at the All Rise national conference (formerly known as the National Association of Drug Court Professionals) in 2023 and 2024.
In October 2025, she spoke at the Ohio Supreme Court’s Specialized Dockets Conference in Columbus.
She’s also been a member of national panels for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
In addition to her recent award from the Summit County ADM Board, some of her other accolades include the Harold K. Stubbs Humanitarian Award for Distinguished Service in the field of law, Akron Law’s John R. Quine Most Outstanding Adjunct Professor Award and the Ohio Common Pleas Judges Association President’s Award of Excellence in 2023.
She lives in Summit County and has three daughters, Amelia, Alana and Anna. Amelia is now a college student who is considering a career in the law.
Judge Oldfield said it meant a lot to her that her children attended the Trailblazer Awards dinner.
“It was very special for me to have the children of ADM staff members present the Trailblazer Award to me, with my own children there,” said Judge Oldfield. “The message was ‘we appreciate the people who do this work and we appreciate the people behind the people,’ which was so moving.
“I’m grateful to work in this field and add value to help people turn their lives around,” said Judge Oldfield. “It’s really rewarding when you see their hard work pay off and they start using talents they didn’t know they had.
“I appreciate the renewed sense of self that comes with this accomplishment,” said Judge Oldfield. “Serving the public like this has helped me in my own life and I hope to continue working in this field for many years to come.”