On Monday, October 6, 2025, Christian M. Capece was sworn in as the 16th Clerk of Court of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, succeeding Sandy Opacich.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Capece led the Federal Trade Commission’s East Central Regional Office as Acting Regional Director, advising senior agency officials on strategy and enforcement. He also served in the Air National Guard and was the State Staff Judge Advocate for the West Virginia Air National Guard. Previously, he worked as an assistant federal public defender and was selected by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to lead the office as the federal public defender. He is a proud United States Marine Corps veteran.

After graduating from Brooklyn Law School, Mr. Capece clerked for Judge Thomas C. Platt Jr. on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He also holds a Master of Education in Secondary Education and a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from The George Washington University.

Chief Judge Sara Lioi said that “Mr. Capece brings over 26 years of experience as an advocate in both civil law enforcement and criminal defense, along with a distinguished record of leadership and public service. He is eminently qualified to service as the next Clerk of Court of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and the Court looks forward to his service.”

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio has court locations in Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown and serves 5.9 million citizens in the 40 northernmost counties in Ohio.