The following is a presentation of FCB Faith. This is Keeping America First with Bishop John T. Coates and Reverend Jeff Jemison on FCB Faith. Here we are in the midst of another election season, and today we have a very qualified Dynamite guest. who is on the ballot this November 3rd, none other than Judge Antonio Nicholson. He has been doing a fabulous job in getting to meet people and getting out in the community all over the county. Judge Nicholson, welcome to our show. How are you today? Good. Thank you for having me. Thank you, Mr. Morrow, Mr. Jemison, for having me. It's an honor and a pleasure to be given the platform. Doing well today. Judge, give us a little bit of your background. Tell us what you've been up to and what's going on in the courts these days. All right. So my name is Antonio Nicholson. I'm one of the 34 common police judges in the General Division of Cuyahoga County. I am the youngest judge in the General Division. I was appointed by Governor DeWine on June 3rd, 2025, and I took the bench June 11th, or excuse me, July 14th. 2025. Prior to taking the bench, I had over 11 years of direct trial experience as a criminal defense attorney. I tried everything from minor misdemeanor traffic to felonies of the first and second degree. Throughout that 11 years of experience, I was a two-time public defender for Cuyahoga County and Lake County. When I was a public defender in Cuyahoga County, I was a lead drug court attorney for what's now called the Judge Larry Jones Drug Court Program. And while I was. Representing people in that program, I represented people with substance use disorders, mental health disorders, and some people who had suffered traumatic experiences. I assisted those individuals in getting clean, and I also assisted some of them in getting their children back. Now, I've handled cases in the municipal courts, the county courts, the appellate courts, the federal courts, the custody courts, the child support courts, housing courts, foreclosure courts. I've even tried a social security case. So a little bit about me. I graduated from Soen High School. I was third in the state. I was an AAU national champion in wrestling. I wrestled at Cleveland State University, Division I. On both teams, I was a leader. I got my first start from Judge Larry Jones. He gave me an internship while I was in law school, and he was the reason why I got hired at the Public Defender's Office. Now, community, I've. Been a wrestling coach for over 20 years. I've coached state champions. I've coached state finalists. I've coached state qualifiers all the way down from four years old to high school. I coach at Beachwood High School. Currently, I assist Jimmy Greenwood, coach Jimmy Greenwood, and I coach at Beat the Streets Cleveland. That is a program to where we take kids from the inner city and the suburbs, white, black, purple, green, gray, and we turn them into champions and we give them college scholarships. We have six high school All-Americans this past March, five or six, And we had several of our wrestlers compete at the U.S. Open. In addition to that, I go down to the juvenile detention center at least two, three times a month to talk to those brothers and sisters and to teach them about reentry so that they can use the tools and the resources. I've teamed up with Youth for Christ. It's an organization in Cleveland, one of the oldest Christian organizations in Cleveland. And we talk to these kids. Great organization. Yes, it is. And we talk to these kids because we want them to use the tools and resources to prevent them from going back in there. And I also teach at Normandy High School every Friday. I teach law to those students. So, Mr. Jemison, I'm in this community currently on the bench. We've presided over several serious cases. I think I've presided over seven life cases. We are doing a great job. I took an atrocious docket, a docket that laid dormant for two years with over 2,000 unruiled on motions. I took the docket without a staff attorney, and I handled the civil docket myself. I acted as a staff attorney, but didn't get paid as a staff attorney. But I hired a staff attorney, Colin Mischick, my bailiff, Patricia Ivory. She's awesome. And we've taken an atrocious docket. to a 100% case clearance rate in the year of 2026. So I'm extremely proud of what we've been doing. I'm proud of the people we've helped, and I'm proud of the way that we have protected the community. It's so good to hear that you've made your rounds, and you're making your rounds all over the county, interacting with different segments of the different constituency groups, different segments of the population, and that's phenomenal. And the work that you've done with the Larry Jones Drug Court, I tell you, that means a lot. Larry Jones was a good judge. I worked with him for many, many years prior to him becoming judge and even afterwards, close with the family. And that says a lot about your character. Just keep doing what you're doing. And it's so good to hear this because a lot of leaders in the African-American community and other people, parts of the community would like to wrap their arms around you and the services that you're providing. So keep doing what you're doing, Judge Antonio Nicholson. You've got the floor. Tell us more. Get that in there. Well, so, you know, here's my thing. I think I'm the most qualified in this race. I'm the youngest judge on a bench in a general division. I took the bench at 38 years old. Um, but I have, I would argue that I have a lot of experience. Um, and so when I'm telling people, when they go to the ballot box, you know, think about the judge because I am the incumbent. Think about the judge who has the heart of a public servant. Okay. And if, if you think I'm qualified after doing your research, because people need to do the research on the judges, uh, vote for me, give me a six year term. Uh, because in 15 months, like I said, I took an atrocious docket and put it back on the rails. My staff has shown what we can do and how we can serve this county. There's not a day that goes by that I don't thank. God for the opportunity to serve. And one of the reasons why I left a ton of money on the table and took an enormous pay cut was because I do have the passion to serve my community and to serve my county. And I handle cases, like I said, all over the state of Ohio and federal courts. And when you look up on those benches, I didn't see a lot of people that looked like me. OK, but then when you look in the courtrooms that I'm the people that I'm standing next to while looking at those at the top of those benches, the people look a lot like me. So we need some diversity on the bench. There's only two black males on the bench out of 34 common police judges, two black males. And that needs to change. That needs to change. And, you know, it's been hard running as a black male in this county, running as a black male Republican. It's been difficult. But I do I do feel confident. And I know once I get through this fire, other black males who are more than qualified will will will, you know, I'll be a trailblazer and they will follow suit because several black attorneys in this Black male attorneys, and I'm being specific with black males because it's like a UFO sighting up here to see a black male judge. So there are several black attorneys, black male attorneys that are capable of serving this bench. So, you know, I'd like to bring some diversity to this bench. And just to close out, I'd like to do two things. I'd like to get a homeless court to address specifically some of the defendants who are homeless because a lot of them can't get to court. Um, they can't, um, they, you know, the last thing they're thinking about is what's going on with the court. Cause they don't have a place to, to hang their head. Secondly, I want to do an end. Yes, sir. I want to do an in custody treatment program, uh, for anybody that comes into that County jail so that they are immediately identified for any issues they may have so that they can get tools and resources while they're incarcerated so that they can, um, be successful when they get out because Mr. Jemison, um, A lot of these people are going to be getting out, and we can't set them up for failure. So I'll leave you with this. Like I said, when you go to that ballot box on November 3rd or early voting or whatever, think about the candidate and the judge and the incumbent who has the heart of a public servant. The judge who represented people with substance use disorders, mental health disorders, and people that suffered traumatic experience. The judge that's tough on crime. but not a stranger to second chances. The judge that holds people accountable, but sees people who are capable of redemption. The judge that's got the most experience. The judge that sat in the jail for hours on a Saturday morning seeing 28 people when I was a criminal defense attorney. There's nobody in my race that's done that. I'm confident to say that. And when you look at all that stuff that I've done prior to getting on the bench as a wrestling coach, I've coached state champions, state place winners and all that. I told you that. And the man that I am in the community. And by the way, I'm a devoted husband and a father of three. You vote for me and give me a six year term and I promise you won't be disappointed. Antonio Nicholson. Keep me on the bench as a judge. Thank you. Thank you, Judge Antonio Nicholson. A great role model. You've been out there interacting with everyone. And I'm going to say this. We've been disappointed with many judges on different occasions. Some have been reprimanded. Some have been removed. Judge Antonio Nicholson, you are a role model, a stellar example of judicial temperament, what we need on the bench, what we need to keep on the bench. And Judge Antonio Nicholson, I just want to say thank you. God bless you. We want to welcome you back to our show again after the election so that you can continue to keep up the rapport that you have with the community. Thank you for being an excellent judge. And let's remember, audience, Keep fighting the good fight. November 3rd, let's vote. Vote for Judge Antonio Nicholson. God bless you all.
