Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova is a life-long area resident having grown up in Niles. She graduated from Niles McKinley High School before attending Youngstown State University where she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Science degree. She then received her Juris Doctorate from the Cleveland Marshall School of Law. Prosecutor DeGenova worked as a general civil attorney in private practice before joining the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office in 2005. During her tenure with the Prosecutor’s Office, Prosecutor DeGenova served as litigation counsel for Mahoning County, including serving as lead counsel for Mahoning County Sheriff, Jerry Greene and other elected officials including the Board of Mahoning County Commissioners. She was promoted to Chief Assistant Prosecutor in January, 2021 and also served as the Office’s Public Information Officer, before being sworn in as the Mahoning County Prosecutor in January 2023. She is a member of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the Ohio Township Association, the Youngstown Business and Professional Women’s Association and the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Executive Association, Inc.
Ralph Rivera, Chief, Criminal Division, is a life-long member of the Mahoning Valley, having grown up in Campbell. He graduated from Ursuline High School before attending Youngstown State University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Science. He then received his Juris Doctorate from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University. While in law school, his Note was chosen for publication in Volume 19, Issue 1 of the Journal of Law and Health. This Note focused on mentally ill offenders’ right to receive mental health care treatment while incarcerated in local jails and prisons. He also served as an Executive Editor for the Journal of Law & Health. Mr. Rivera worked as a Law Clerk in the Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas before joining the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office in 2007. During his tenure with the Prosecutor’s Office, Mr. Rivera worked in the Appellate Division where he manages the criminal appellate docket. The appellate docket includes all direct and discretionary appeals filed in the Seventh District Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Ohio. He is also responsible for all post-trial capital defendants, which includes responding to and prosecuting all direct appeals, postconviction petitions, and clemency reviews before the Ohio Parole Board. In January, 2021, Mr. Rivera was promoted to Assistant Chief of the Criminal Division. Mr. Rivera very active in the Boardman-Youngstown area, volunteering his time with various organizations, including, Boardman Civics Association, Boardman Community Baseball, Steel Valley Storm Fastpitch, and the Boy Scouts of America Troop #60. He is also a member of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association.
Chief Assistant Linette Stratford is a resident of Austintown, Ohio. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Youngstown State University with a double major in accounting and philosophy. She received her Juris Doctorate from the Ohio State College of Law in 1990. Prior to joining the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office in 1994, she worked for a private law firm practicing in the areas of commercial litigation, bankruptcy and taxation. Attorney Stratford was promoted to Chief of the Civil Division in 1999 wherein she supervised the work of assistant prosecutors and staff handling civil litigation, contracts, opinions and miscellaneous matters for all county and township officials. In 2011, Attorney Stratford was promoted to Chief Assistant managing both criminal and civil division and the general operations of the office. Attorney Stratford also serves as an adjunct professor at Youngstown State University where she teaches business ethics and philosophy of law. She provides professional ethics training to attorneys through the Academy of Continuing Legal Education. And she is a member of the National District Attorneys Association, Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, and the Ohio Township Association.
Robert J. Andrews, Chief, Criminal Division, graduated from Grove City College with a double major in Business Administration and Political Science. He then received his Juris Doctorate from the University Of Toledo School Of Law. Attorney Andrews worked in the Portage County Prosecutor’s Office for the first five years of his career, starting in municipal court for one year, served as head of the Portage County Drug Task Force for two years, with the final two years running the Portage County Crimes against Women and Children Unit. He then went into general private practice for three years, first in Niles and later in Boardman, where he specialized in criminal defense and domestic relations. In 1999, Attorney Andrews joined the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office as an Assistant Prosecutor, where he has litigated all types of felonies ranging from drug and theft cases to capital murders. During his tenure with the Prosecutor’s Office, Attorney Andrews has served in the Violent Crimes Unit as Grand Jury Prosecutor and trained many new criminal assistant prosecutors in their first assignments. He was recently promoted to Senior Trial Counsel in March 2021. Attorney Andrews also advises local police departments and speaks at training seminars regarding general criminal procedures and the filing of charges. He is a member of the National District Attorneys Association, Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, and an officer with Boardman Community Baseball.
Karen M. Gaglione was born and raised in the Mahoning Valley, having grown up in Austintown Township. She graduated from Austintown Fitch High School and attended Bowling Green State University and graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor in Psychology. Ms. Gaglione received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Akron School of Law in 1992. She worked as a general practice attorney before serving as a law clerk in the Seventh District Court of Appeals. Ms. Gaglione joined the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office in 1994. As an Assistant Prosecutor, Ms. Gaglione works predominately with the Mahoning County Townships. She is a member of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the Ohio Township Association, and the National District Attorneys Association.
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. M-F
21 W Boardman Street
6th Floor
Youngstown, OH 44503
Phone: 330-740-2330
Fax (Criminal): 330-740-2008
Fax (Civil): 330-740-2829
