She noticed the look of surprise in the defendant’s eyes as he watched her enter the courtroom.
The year was 1989. Judge Carla Moore, Akron Municipal Court’s first African-American female judge, was new to the bench. When he stood to address the court, the repeat offender standing before her called her “honey.”
It was a defining moment.
She reminded him why he was in court, what had transpired there and what role she would play in determining his sentence. In the future, he would refer to her as “Judge Moore” or “your honor,” she advised. And under no circumstances was it appropriate to call her “honey.”
The story echoed through the justice center, repeated by clerks and bailiffs who wondered what kind of tone her presence would set. After that, she says with a knowing smile, “I didn’t have drama in my courtroom.”
Moore had never aspired to be a judge. She was tapped for the position just months after beginning a job that she loved at Buckingham, Doolittle and Burroughs. The seat would be vacant because Judge Harold Stubbs, for whom the Akron justice center was named, was gravely ill.
Moore, who was just 37 then, now says she was in the right place at the right time. Still, she brought a wealth of experience to the bench. After graduating from The Ohio State University College of Law, she followed her passion for civil rights to work in the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
She spent eight years in the U.S. Attorney’s office working primarily on civil cases. She still remembers the thrill of standing before a judge and saying, “Your honor, my name is Carla Moore, and I represent the United States of America.”
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LIFE LESSONS
⊲ Education is the great equalizer.
⊲ If you really want to thrive, engage in relationships of accountability with people who are close to you and allow them to call you out.
⊲ Friendship is huge. I have been blessed to have some of the best friendships on the planet — long, enduring friendships.
⊲ Be generous with your time, … and to the extent that you can, bring people into your family.
⊲ I loved trial work. I loved being a trial attorney. But being a judge is bigger than me. It’s not about me.
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New to her private sector job, the timing of the municipal court opening was not ideal. With two young children, she and her husband, Dan Wilson, knew that accepting the judgeship would thrust their family into a crazy year of campaigning for the following year’s election.
The couple prayed. They decided to make the most of the opportunity.
Moore won the election and held the municipal court position until 2004 when she moved to the 9th District Court of Appeals, where she now serves.
“She leads with a sensible sensitivity — sensible in the head and sensitivity in the heart and soul,” says Cynthia Capers, special assistant to the provost at the University of Akron. “She’s insightful and human. She wants the best for others.”
Over the years, she became known as more than the judge who commanded respect. Stories of the extraordinary measures she takes to help people are woven into the fabric of her reputation.
Moore has ongoing relationships with current and former law clerks. She mentors many young women in the community and has welcomed former offenders into her life, including the woman she took home with her on Christmas Eve who later came to live with Moore’s family for months until she could get back on her feet financially.
“How can I have all this abundance and not share it?” Moore asks, as if everyone does this kind of thing.
And then there is Yvette Marshall, whom Moore sentenced about 10 years ago. When Marshall told Moore about her dream to get sober and start a residential treatment center, Moore wanted to help her make it happen.
She offered Marshall advice and walked with her every step of the way personally and professionally. They’d meet at restaurants, in churches and at Moore’s home.
“She’s taken me under her wing,” Marshall says. “She challenges me to be the best person I can be.”
Today, the two are more like family. Marshall’s continuing treatment center, Where Angels Land, is now a registered nonprofit set to open early next year.
As an appellate court judge, Moore spends countless hours researching and writing.
She has continued to study, gaining special certification as a fellow of the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource program and serves on cases that require specialized expertise in these areas.
Still, Moore gets the most satisfaction from helping others.
“Ultimately, I want to be known for making a difference in the lives of the nameless people who would never really expect to come to court and find redemption,” Moore says.