JUDGE

Hamilton County Juvenile Court

February 14, 2021 to present

800 Broadway, 12th Floor

Cincinnati, OH 45202

Judge Kari Bloom was elected in 2020 to serve as Judge of the Hamilton County Juvenile Court for a six year term commencing February 14, 2021. Prior to coming to the Juvenile Court, Judge Bloom worked in public service, first as a contract negotiator for the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base before starting her tenure at the Hamilton County Public Defender's Office. 

 In between service as a public defender, Judge Bloom worked at the Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) for several years as a legislative liaison and parole attorney, where she testified in the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate on behalf of juvenile justice issues. She also investigated, prepared, and represented clients in front of the Ohio Parole Board, focusing on people seeking parole who had been transferred to adult court as teenagers. 

 While at OPD, Judge Bloom served on several statewide boards and commissions, including  the Ohio Supreme Court Sentencing Commission, Ohio Recodification Committee, Ohio Supreme Court Bail Committee, and Ohio Supreme Court Juvenile Justice Committee. She participated in systemic policy work to increase access to courts, reconcile conflicting laws, collect and disperse criminal sentencing data, and rectify the lasting effects of tough on crime legislation.