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Local 12: CCM alum is first Hispanic woman to serve as Hamilton County probate magistrate

Attorney Berti Garcia Helmick studied voice at CCM before attending law school at UC

headshot of Curt Whitacre By Curt Whitacre 513-556-2683
2 minute read March 30, 2020

Attorney Berti Garcia Helmick made history in March 2020 when she was sworn in as the first Hispanic woman to serve as a magistrate on Hamilton County’s Probate Court.

Attorney Berti Garcia Helmick is sworn in as the first Hispanic woman to serve as a magistrate on Hamilton County’s Probate Court. (WKRC Local 12)

A soprano, Garcia Helmick first came to Cincinnati to study voice performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), earning a Bachelor of Music degree in 1976. Following a performance career that included appearances with Cincinnati Opera, she eventually returned to UC and earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1995.

Garcia Helmick has been an attorney for 25 years and has represented people with mental illness in the courts as a member of the county’s mental health panel.

“I'm very honored to be the first Hispanic magistrate, and we have a large Hispanic population here in Hamilton County,” Garcia Helmick said. “It’s important that someone on the other side of the bench can understand the pressures they’re going through.”

Read more from Local 12 WKRC-TV.

Featured images: Attorney Berti Garcia Helmick is sworn in as the first Hispanic woman to serve as a magistrate on Hamilton County’s Probate Court. Photos/Local 12 WKRC-TV

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