Login | November 05, 2026
Meet Akron Municipal Court Magistrate Brian Coffman
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: November 5, 2026
As a manager and consultant for several businesses, Portage County, Ohio native Brian Coffman helped grow and expand their services and increase sales.
But for Coffman, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ohio University, his foray into the business world was only temporary.
“I had been considering law school for a number of years, but decided to work in private industry first,” said Coffman.
After holding various positions at three different companies, he decided to pursue his original plan, earning his Juris Doctor from The University of Akron School of Law in 1998.
Now after working for a boutique creditors’ rights firm in Beachwood, Ohio and starting his own practice in 2003, he’s taken on a brand-new role as a part-time magistrate for Akron Municipal Court Judge Nicole Walker.
“It’s very interesting work,” said Coffman, who was sworn in by Judge Walker on Aug. 14. “I hear civil matters and preside over criminal and traffic hearings if the parties consent to having their cases heard by a magistrate.
“I am gaining a new perspective on the application of the law, having been a criminal defense and family law attorney for almost 30 years now.”
“Magistrate Coffman has been a terrific addition to my team,” said Judge Walker. “I am grateful for his legal expertise and professionalism.”
A member of the Ohio State Bar Association, Coffman has been busy familiarizing himself with the court’s policies and procedures, including its new information system.
“I find it interesting to see things from the perspective of the bench as I have spent nearly 30 years on the other side,” said Coffman.
“Many people underestimate the amount of time and effort it takes to operate a courtroom efficiently. Thankfully, Judge Walker has a great support staff that has made my transition to the bench much smoother.”
Coffman and Judge Walker are currently exploring ways to further assist the public by identifying violations that might be better addressed through new specialty courts.
Akron Municipal Court already has six specialized dockets that provide services and support to people whose charges are related to problems such as substance use and mental health disorders.
There are also many programs designed to help specific groups of individuals, such as those with developmental disabilities and younger men at high risk of reoffending, get their lives back on track and move forward.
“Judge Walker and I are examining other areas in which specialty dockets could help the community,” said Coffman.
“There are a lot of situations in which an individual’s conduct may be quite troublesome but not necessarily require punishment.”
Two of the issues they are focusing on are housing code violations and cases in which a defendant is accused of animal cruelty.
“For example, a person may not be able to afford food for a companion animal,” said Coffman, a former longtime board member at Portage Animal Protective League.
In such a case, he said, connecting the individual with needed resources might be a better solution than imposing a criminal sanction.
In the case of housing code violations, such as failing to maintain a property, Coffman said adding additional fines can exacerbate the problem because the underlying issue is often financial.
At the moment the project is still in the research phase, with no concrete timeline as to when the specialty courts might be unveiled.
“Judge Walker and I are eager to launch these programs,” said Coffman. “The court is welcoming input from members of the community.”