Former State Trooper Pursues Legal Career Following Chance Encounter with Judge

Former State Trooper Pursues Legal Career Following Chance Encounter with Judge

Growing up in inner-city Cleveland, first-year law student Darriontae Stewart saw how cycles of poverty, violence and incarceration can shape a community. One of eight siblings raised by a single mother, he watched friends and family, including his older brother, become entangled in the criminal justice system.

"Growing up, I never had anybody that I looked up to. I just had people that I did not want to be," Stewart said. "So that's what made me go in a different direction."

That direction first led him to Lourdes University, where he began studying education before finding his calling in criminal justice. After earning his bachelor's degree in 2019 and encouraged by a professor who saw leadership potential in his lived experience, he became a state trooper, determined to bring empathy and understanding to law enforcement.

"At first, I'm like, 'Where I'm from, you can't become a police officer. That's just a no-go,' " he said. "But my professor was telling me, if you want change, you have to be the one. You have to take the hurdles and the lumps if you want to do it for the bigger picture."

After three years as a trooper in Dayton and Sylvania, Stewart decided to take the next step toward reform from within. That opportunity arrived during an unexpected encounter: a routine traffic stop with Judge James R. Knepp II, a U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of Ohio and a 1992 alumnus of the College of Law.

"He liked how I carried myself and told me I should go to law school," Stewart recalled. "I've always thought about it, but also where I'm from, nobody has ever done that. I literally thought it was out of reach. I just thought that it was a dream that would never come true. But he gave me his card and told me to call him."

Stewart did, and the two met soon after. Judge Knepp encouraged him to apply to The University of Toledo College of Law.

"[Judge Knepp] is a great person, great mentor. He's like a father figure to me," he said. "He's somebody I really appreciate, and the biggest reason why I appreciate him is because, where I'm from, there's always an ulterior motive. People aren't doing things just for no benefit to them. He's not looking for anything from me. So, it's just organic. That's what I appreciate the most."

Now a first-year law student at UToledo, Stewart has quickly immersed himself in the Toledo Law community. He serves as a 1L class representative for the Student Bar Association, sits on the Diversity and Social committees and holds positions in the Black Law Students Association and the Mindful Advocates Association.

"The first thing I felt here was how tight-knit it is," he said. "Everyone treats you like family."

Guided by mentors such as Shelley Cavalieri, Candice Kline and Adrian McKinney, Stewart has found support to push him both academically and personally.

"Professor McKinney keeps it real. She tells me when I'm wrong," he said. "I respect that honesty. It helps me grow."

"Law school tests not just intelligence but resilience. Darriontae embodies both," McKinney said. "I am consistently impressed by his questions regarding the law profession and his class work. His hunger for understanding, even in challenging moments, reminds me why mentorship matters."

Looking ahead, Stewart said he plans to pursue criminal defense law, inspired by his brother's story and his belief in second chances.

"I want to be part of the solution," he said. "Second chances, I feel, are important; making sure that the law is working properly is very important. Because if we want change, we have to be the ones in those positions of power."

For Stewart, every step, from Cleveland to Lourdes, from the patrol car to the classroom, has been about resilience and purpose.

"Whenever you feel like you have no idea why you decided to do this, always remember your reason why. I think that's always the most important thing, knowing why you're doing something," he said. "I was taught early that everybody is in one of three sets of adversity. Either you're about to go through adversity, you're in the midst of adversity or you just came out of adversity. So just keep your head up, your chest high and keep pushing."