Judge Rusu: Improvising, Adapting, Family Time, Boating

Judge Robert N. Rusu of the Mahoning County Probate Court is hanging tough. You can read more about Judge Rusu at the court’s website. 

What are some ways the COVID-19 outbreak has changed your work life?

For the first few weeks of the outbreak, it seemed as though my team and I were re-creating the Court and its processes every 24 hours. Things were happening so fast, with so much “dis-information,” we didn’t know who to listen to or how to respond. Finally, I just said that I had enough and I started making decisions that I knew were best for my Court, my employees and the citizens of Mahoning County who are in the Court. I am very proud of my staff, as we were able to keep the Court open without having to close the Court or the Clerk’s office, and have continued to process cases in a timely fashion.

Our work load has not changed; we have continued to process the same amount of cases and pleadings as before the pandemic. However, what has changed is the work pace. Everything has seemed to slow down. I think it is that people, at first, were naturally hesitant to want to come to the Court to get a copy of their marriage license or to process an old asset in a deceased relative’s name, so they put it off. However, our telephone calls have skyrocketed as people have more time to research things and want answers to questions.

As I have said previously, some of the things coming out of this pandemic have been positive. It has forced us to “re-think” and “re-tool” our processes and I have discovered some new time-saving techniques as a result of all of this. We have found that our video and telephone conference system works very well on some of our simple non-contested hearings, and we plan on using that in the future. We have been accepting fax and email pleadings from the attorneys and will continue that into the future, and we have instituted a new marriage license application process where the soon-to-be-wed couple must call and schedule an appointment with the Court prior to coming in person to complete the process. We have found that this is streamlining the application process and making it easier for the applicants and my staff.

Our motto here at the Court that I repeat to my employees all the time is “Improvise, Adapt and Overcome!” I live that every day and I am thankful that I have people who I work with who have accepted it.

How about your personal life?

Personal life has been OK, other than my wife having a bunch of projects for me to do. She said jokingly one day after I cleaned out my wardrobe closet that she wants to order a pandemic shutdown every three to five years so that it forces me to clean my closet and get all the “honey do” items completed around the house. I must tell you I am a guy that likes to stay busy and be doing things. It doesn’t matter if it is out attending events in the community, doing yard work or playing golf, I like to stay busy. With all the events canceled, it has been really weird for me. I seem to look for something that needs fixed or built around the house and I have been tackling those projects with much more interest now that the pandemic has shut everything down. I, along with the help from my three boys, have built a shed and a new deck out at our lake property on Berlin Lake during the pandemic. Lowes really likes me!!

What steps are you taking to hang tough?

I have been developing a new routine. Trying to keep things the same. We like things that are steady and predictable and we like routine. Yes, it’s nice to get out of your routine when you go on a vacation for a week or two, but usually most of us like to get back to our routine after any vacation. This is what the pandemic has been like. Therefore, I have tried to make a new routine and keep things the same. I try to work the same hours, then head home for some outdoor work or wash the cars, then dinner, then a walk/ride bikes in the park with my wife.

Keeping things the same seems to work best for the kids as well. Now my kids who still live with us are 17, 19 and 22. And I also have a 24-year-old who is married with two kids. Keeping things the same for the kids makes them feel more secure and stable and therefore there’s less turmoil. We also like seeing the grandkids, from a safe distance, at first via Skype and video chat and then recently we have started to see them in person as things have opened up and the weather has gotten nicer. Plus, one of my passions is being out on the water on my boat. I love inland lakes and rivers. Berlin Lake, Shenango Reservoir and the Ohio River are some of my favorite places. I have been boating as much as I can since this all happened.

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?

Basically, that life is unpredictable and that you have to be prepared for anything. My motto that I have shared with my kids as they grew up is the same that I use at the Court: “Improvise, Adapt and Overcome!” Also, I am an optimist. I see the good in people and always search for the positive in everything. If you do that, you will be happier and better able to cope with bad things.

Anything else to add?

I would just like to add that humans are resilient. We will prevail and this will pass and please don’t be so afraid of dying that you forget to live!