This month, we’re shining a spotlight on Medina County Prosecutor S. Forrest Thompson. Forrest plays a vital and unique role within our Multi-Disciplinary Team. He is committed to ensuring that child abuse investigations are thorough and handled with care, maintaining the integrity of the evidence while prioritizing the child’s well-being. His leadership supports a coordinated response focused on both child safety and justice.
We are grateful to have Forrest on our team and look forward to his continued partnership in protecting children and strengthening our community.
Roles and Responsibilities
How did you learn about The Children’s Center of Medina County? How did you first become involved with The Center?
I first became aware of The Children’s Center of Medina County when I assumed the position of County Prosecutor in January 2017.
In the beginning, my involvement with The Center was primarily directed by case review meetings. As I learned more about The Center and the importance of their work, I became vested in a more active role to support both the accreditation and the work of The Center.
What is your current role? What do you do in that role?
My current role is as the elected County Prosecutor for Medina County. My office serves the entire county, including all law enforcement agencies, in the prosecution of all felony level criminal cases as well as all juvenile cases.
Personal Insights and Reflections
What is the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
The best advice I ever got was not given to me specifically; it was from a television interview I saw with Wally Amos, founder of Famous Amos Cookies: “Start from where you are at.” Meaning, if you wait for circumstances to be more favorable before you start a project, it will never get started.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a child, I wanted to be a major league baseball pitcher. However, I learned early on that desire and talent were two very different things, and you needed both to pursue that dream. Unfortunately, I only had desire.
What would we most likely find you doing on the weekend?
Most weekends would find me either fishing or hunting, as the season and weather dictate.
What season is your favorite?
My favorite season of the year is fall, for the same reason that it is virtually everyone’s favorite season in this part of the country.
Community Engagement and Support
What does the community need to know about The Children’s Center?
The community at large needs to be educated on the critical work the folks at The Children’s Center do every day. The wrap-around services they provide for children who have been victimized are enormously beneficial to the children and their families while also being an indispensable component of the work my office does in holding the people who victimize children accountable.
