Sarah Thomas Kovoor at a glance
- Current role
- Common Pleas Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Ohio · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Sarah Thomas Kovoor
Common Pleas Judge · Trumbull Co. Common Pleas Court
Biography
Professional career
- Republican‐elected judge of the Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, General Division, serving since 2024
- She later filed a lawsuit challenging Ohio’s “sore loser” statute, but a federal judge dismissed it in July 2023, upholding the law and ending her bid
- Began as an assistant prosecutor in the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office, then opened her own law firm in 2001, specializing in criminal defense, domestic relations, constitutional law, and civil rights defense
Education
- B.A. from the University of Rochester in 1992 and a J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law in 1998.
Additional information
- Practiced privately until her election to the judgeship in 2024
- In 2023, Kovoor faced a legal challenge to her judgeship after losing a Republican primary for a different judicial office.
- Joined the Ohio Bar in 1998
- One of four judges on the court, alongside Sean J. O’Brien, Cynthia Westcott, and Ronald J. Rice
- Born in Kerala, India into an Orthodox Christian family, Kovoor moved to Rye, New York, at age seven.
- She is active in the Ohio State Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association, and Trumbull County Bar Association
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
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.
Instructions for submitting exhibits or notifying the court of witnesses.Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗
Statewide
Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance recommends advance ground rules for documents, exhibits, screen sharing, and pre-marking exhibits for remote hearings.
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 ↗
Statewide
Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance states that litigants, attorneys, and the public should be instructed not to record the hearing.
The court should instruct the litigants, attorneys, and the public to not record the hearing.Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗
Sources
Identity source checked July 27, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 27, 2026.
Ohio Judicial Conference Directory official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View Ohio Judicial Conference Directory official judicial roster ↗Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗