WARREN — On Thursday afternoon, courtroom two of the Warren Municipal Court reached full capacity as family, friends, local legal professionals and public officials filed in to witness the swearing-in of Judge Natasha Natale.

She was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to fill the seat of Judge Thomas Gysegem after he retired in March.

“I intend and I will preside over all cases being fair, impartial, unbiased, without any prejudice and knowing the law,” Natale said.

“I want people to come before me knowing they’ve been heard and I hear what they are saying, it’s important that members of the community know that and know I’m here to serve them.”

Looking into the crowd, Natale said her heart was overwhelmed to see the showing of support from faces from her present and her past, down to neighbors and friends from high school.

The ceremony was opened by retired Judge Terry Ivanchak, who returned to the bench to temporarily fill the void left by Gysegem.

Ivanchak then passed on the responsibilities to his successor, Judge Patricia Leopardi Knepp, who carries the distinction of being the court’s first female municipal court judge.

Knepp administered the oath of office, formally inducting Natale into her new position.

In her remarks, Knepp praised the qualifications of Natale, “She’s intelligent, knowledgeable about the law, a kind person and I find her to have true insight into people and the type of cases especially that are going to be here in Warren Municipal Court.”

Spectators filled every seat, with some notable attendees from the lower Trumbull County courts present, observing the proceedings from the jury box, a symbolic gesture of the judiciary’s unity and respect for the process.

Although new to the role, Natale is no stranger to the area. She grew up in Warren, graduated from Warren G. Harding and Youngstown State University and earned her juris doctor from the University of Akron in 2004.

“I think it should be important that somebody that was from the area, stayed in the area and cares about the community is here to serve the community,” Natale said.

The transition has been seamless as Natale said the staff at the courthouse helped ease her into her new surroundings.

Many of the faces she’s encountered are new but she said she’s come across familiar faces with the commonality being that everyone has been “supportive and helpful,” she said.

Natale leaves a position at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office where she served as the Senior Assistant Attorney General.

Working in the special prosecution section, she described traveling to courtrooms across Ohio and acting as a special prosecutor when there was a conflict or when her extensive knowledge for particular aspects of cases was sought.

Her well rounded background has also seen her work as general counsel for the Ohio Public Employees Deferred Compensation Program; she’s been a magistrate for Portage County Common Pleas Court; a practitioner at the Natasha Frenchko law firm; an associate attorney for the Mead Pezillo law firm; and her law background extends to having tried numerous cases as an assistant prosecutor for the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office.

“I’ve had the opportunity to be in different roles, work with great people and it in turn allowed me to have an extensive background in more than just one area of the law,” she said.

Natale will have to run for election in November 2025 to remain in her position. However, Natale said, for now, her mind is set on reviewing and applying the law to the cases she will be overseeing.