--- title: "Anita Laster Mays | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/anita-laster-mays" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # Anita Laster Mays Eighth District Court of Appeals ยท Court of Appeals Judge ## Profile - Court: Eighth District Court of Appeals - State: Ohio - Role: Court of Appeals Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-27 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge Laster Mays was elected to Cleveland Municipal Court in November 2003, beginning her term in January 2004 ### Education - Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Management Information Systems from The Ohio State University in 1996 and graduated from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1992 ### Additional information - She also contributed to statewide policy as a member of the Specialized Docket Advisory Board of the Ohio Supreme Court In November 2014, she was elected to the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, assuming office in February 2015 - Before her judicial career, she served as an Assistant Cleveland Prosecutor, a defense attorney handling probate, domestic relations, civil, and criminal matters, and as Deputy Director of the Criminal Division in the Cleveland Clerk of Courts Office, gaining experience on both sides of the legal system - During her 11 years on the municipal bench, she oversaw specialized dockets including the Cleveland Mock Trial Competition, Federal Weed and Seed Docket, Mental Health Docket, and Greater Cleveland Drug Court, achieving notable success with 80% of drug court graduates remaining drug-free - She has served on the 3Rs Committee, educating students on their legal rights and responsibilities, and is a member of Providence Baptist Church and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated, where she has led initiatives such as health awareness programs, swim safety education, and community support projects - She has received positive evaluations from local bar associations, reflecting her professional competence and judicial performance - Judge Laster Mays is active in professional and civic organizations, including the American Judges Association, National Bar Association, Ohio Bar Association, and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### remote hearing exhibits Scope: statewide Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance tells courts to include instructions for submitting exhibits or notifying the court of witnesses when remote-hearing information is sent to participants. Evidence excerpt: Instructions for submitting exhibits or notifying the court of witnesses. [Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings](https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/virtual-court/) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote hearing ground rules Scope: statewide Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance recommends advance ground rules for documents, exhibits, screen sharing, and pre-marking exhibits for remote hearings. Evidence excerpt: Documents: Share any documents/exhibits that will be reviewed in advance. Use the share screen function while documents are being discussed during the hearing. Request that the documents are pre-marked for exhibit purposes. [Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings](https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/virtual-court/) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote recording Scope: statewide Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance states that litigants, attorneys, and the public should be instructed not to record the hearing. Evidence excerpt: The court should instruct the litigants, attorneys, and the public to not record the hearing. [Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings](https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/virtual-court/) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.ohiojudges.org/directory/ojc-directory/) - [Official roster](https://www.ohiojudges.org/directory/ojc-directory/) - [Ohio Judicial Conference Directory official judicial roster](https://www.ohiojudges.org/directory/ojc-directory/) - [Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings](https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/courts/virtual-court/) - [Wikidata: Anita Laster Mays](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q139113494) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/anita-laster-mays", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/anita-laster-mays", "name": "Anita Laster Mays | KnowJudges", "description": "Anita Laster Mays, Eighth District Court of Appeals. 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