Salerno was a judge in the Franklin County Municipal Court in Columbus, Ohio from 2005 until she was defeated for re-election by a wide margin by Jessica D’Varga on November 5, 2019.
[4] Salerno's political career began in 1993, when she was recruited by the Franklin County Republican Party to run for an at-large seat on the Columbus City Council.
[4][9] She was accused of "grandstanding" by the Columbus Dispatch for lecturing Ohio State football player Antonio Henton during his 2007 arraignment for solicitation.
[10] After jurors complained, Administrative Judge James E. Green asked Salerno to recuse herself from the other case involving the defendant and said that she may face disciplinary action.
As part of the settlement, all parties agreed that Salerno violated Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct Rule 1.2, which requires a judge to respect and comply with the law and to act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, and Rule 2.8(c) which prohibits a judge from commending or criticizing jurors for their verdict other than in a court order or opinion in a proceeding.