Montgomery County Juvenile Court

06/05/2026

33 ½ dozen donuts disappeared quickly during today’s National Donut Day! It was a small token of appreciation to Juvenile Court employees for serving the needs of Montgomery County children and families.

05/28/2026

If you successfully file to have your juvenile record sealed or expunged, you can truthfully say you have no record of criminal delinquency.

05/27/2026

Graduating from High School is a major milestone and Juvenile Court is proud of the 17 court-affiliated youth who earned their diplomas this May.

They include three students from Miamisburg High School, two from both Meadowdale Career Technology Center and West Carrollton High School, as well as students who graduated from Beavercreek High School, Dayton Digital Academy, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Groveport-Madison High School, Jefferson Township High School, Kettering Fairmont High School, Northmont High School, Oakwood High School, TRECA Digital Academy and Vandalia Butler High School.

Shout out to all the probation officers, education advocates, diversion officers, assessment specialists; Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteers and the Juvenile Court teachers and transition coordinators who encouraged their accomplishments. A special ceremony will be held for two graduates at the Center for Adolescent Services in June.

05/22/2026

Newly appointed Judge Nicholas Sylvain was joined by Ohio Supreme Court Justice R. Patrick DeWine, Juvenile Court Judge Helen Wallace, Domestic Relations Court Judge Jennifer Petrella, his wife Tina Lawson Sylvain, as well as other local elected officials, judges, magistrates, family and friends during today’s ceremonial Oath of Office ceremony.

He assumed office on May 18 and will run for office in November to retain the seat.

"I am humbled that I will be able to continue my service to the people of Montgomery County through this new opportunity with the Juvenile Court,” he said. "It is truly exciting that I will be able to leverage 32 years of legal experience to help children and families of my home county find justice and improve their lives."

A 1993 graduate of William & Mary Law School, Judge Sylvain gained legal experience while studying for his Juris Doctor by conducting legal research over his summer breaks, first for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C., and later for a circuit court judge in Norfolk, Virginia. He also represented indigent clients in child support cases and unemployment compensation claims through his school’s legal aid clinic.

After graduating, Judge Sylvain moved back to Dayton to begin his career as an assistant prosecuting attorney at the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office, where he served from 1993 until 2002. His work included felony trial litigation and serving as a supervising attorney for the Family Violence Unit.

In 2002, Judge Sylvain became a magistrate in the domestic relations division of the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, where he handled motions and trials pertaining to custody and parenting time, domestic violence protection orders, and interstate child support. He served in that position until his appointment to the bench.

05/19/2026

What does 'pro se' mean?

05/13/2026

‘Building Stronger Systems Together’ was the goal behind the regional child welfare training hosted by the Ohio Supreme Court today. Representatives from the Juvenile Court, Prosecutor’s Office, Public Defenders Office, Children Services, and the Family & Children First Council collaborated on training focused on best practices for using and sharing data to improve outcomes for children and families.

05/13/2026

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05/07/2026

Get out, stay out and succeed.

That’s the message that the Ohio Department of Commerce, including Director Sheryl Maxfield, brought to the youth at the Center for Adolescent Services (CAS) today during a presentation for Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs Week.

Speakers from trade unions representing plumbing and other construction fields, as well as building code standards let youth know that there is a “booming opportunity” for them in the skilled trades.

Joined by Judge Helen Wallace, the young women and men were encouraged to do their research on apprenticeship opportunities that will allow them to get paid while they learn after they leave CAS. They also received financial advice about understanding their paychecks, creating budgets and building credit.

“The more you learn, the more you know, the more valuable you are and the more money you can earn,” said Michelle Grago, building inspector supervisor.

05/04/2026

Thank you to Visiting Judge Mary Donovan for stepping in to sit on the bench at Juvenile Court on an interim basis. Her knowledge and experience were very much appreciated by all who worked with her - including the Court staff, judges, magistrates, prosecutors and defense attorneys who stopped by the courtroom today for a brief farewell before her next assignment.

05/01/2026

During every phase of his 27-year legal career, Ted Valley has spent a lot of time in the Montgomery County Juvenile Court. Starting next week, he will be spending even more.

Today, he was sworn in as a new magistrate by Judge Helen Wallace, and he also earned the Court’s Law Day Award during an event hosted by the Dayton Bar Association at Sinclair Community College.

As an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s office from 1999 to 2004, he represented Child Protective Services and the Support Enforcement Agency in child welfare cases and child support enforcement actions. In private practice since 2004, he has represented children and parents in delinquency and custody cases and has also served as a Guardian ad Litem. Recently, he has also helped to mentor new attorneys.

Valley earned an undergraduate degree in criminal justice in 1995, and a law degree in 1999, from the University of Dayton.