Cleveland Law Library Weblog

Andrea Rocco Has Been Appointed as the Acting Clerk of Courts of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, eff. 1/2/13

Today, Andrea Rocco takes office as the acting Clerk of Courts of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. She has been appointed by Cuyahoga County Executive Edward FitzGerald to replace retiring Clerk of Courts Gerald E. Fuerst, who has served the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judges and staff for over 30 years. The Law Library wishes Mr. Fuerst a happy retirement.

Governor Kasich Appoints Bratenahl Mayor's Court Magistrate Janet R. Colaluca to Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court

According to an Ohio Supreme Court press release, Governor John Kasich has appointed Bratenahl Mayor's Court Magistrate Janet R. Colaluca to fill a vacancy at the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court. Magistrate Colaluca will take the seat created by the recent passing of former DR Judge Kathleen O'Malley. Magistrate Colaluca will take office on January 7th. The Magistrate is a 1991 graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. 

The Cuyahoga County Clerk of Courts is Still Looking for a New Chief

I am not sure how long Gerald E. Fuerst has been the Clerk of Court in Cuyahoga County, but the County posted his job on August 15th, and it is still pending. According to the Clerk's employment web site page, the position will remain open until it is filled. The preview of the job shows a salary range of $86,000 - $125,000 and general job requirements. The job responsibilities are also listed and include: being the official record keeper for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas General and Domestic Relations Divisions and the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Appellate District in Ohio; receiving and collecting statutory fees and court ordered fines and costs; calling jurors; maintaining search warrants; expunging records; and other duties.

Ohio Psychological Assn. Honors Dr. Frank R. Ezzo, PhD, ABPP, Cuyahoga County DR Court Director of Family Conciliation Services

The Ohio Psychological Association has honored Dr. Frank R. Ezzo, PhD, ABPP with the 2012 Distinguished Psychologist Award. Dr. Ezzo is the local Director of Family Conciliation Services for the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court. Click here to read the Ohio Supreme Court's news release.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason Has Tendered His Resignation, effective October 1, 2012, to Leave His Position for Private Practice

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason has tendered his resignation early and will leave his position effective October 1, 2012 for a job in private practice as a partner with the Cleveland office of the Columbus law firm of Bricker & Eckler LLP. Mason's term was scheduled to conclude at the end of the year, after which he had indicated he would not be running for the office of Prosecutor again. Former Judge Tim McGinty has been chosen to replace him temporarily until a new Prosecutor can be chosen in the November 6th election. Mason's resignation letter indicates that he will work with Bricker's public sector clients on issues of consolidation, shared services, and collaboration. Mason credits his tenure with taking a "tough stance on crime," establishing community-based criminal prosecution, and creating an "efficient and effective" prosecutor's office.

Survey Reports that Judges in Ohio Need a Raise

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has just released a survey which shows that judges in Ohio  need a raise. According to NCSC, Ohio Judges have not had a raise since 2008, and they rank in the "bottom half" of judicial salaries nationwide. According to a Columbus Dispatch article which summarized the survey results:

"Ohio Supreme Court justices are paid $141,600 annually, far below California’s $218,237. Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor is paid $150,850, less than the average $157,759 for comparable top court judges in other states and well below California’s $228,856.

Ohio appellate judges receive $132,000, common pleas judges $121,350, full-time municipal judges $114,000, and part-time municipal and county court judges $65,650."

See also The Ohio Supreme Court's Press Release.

Law library shares experience with legal interns

This summer the Cleveland Law Library sponsored two interns named Diamondjean Donald and Jasmine Perry. Ms.Donald came to us from The Louis Stokes Scholars Program created by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and Ms.Perry came to us from The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Summer Legal Academy. Following their visit to the Court of Appeals their
was taken at the law library with our circulation supervisor, Sharla Johnston, and our chief administrator, Kathleen Dugan. They learned practical legal research skills to support the practice of law in Cuyahoga County. 

Cleveland Municipal Ordinances Have Been Updated through October 4, 2011

The Cleveland Municipal Ordinances were just updated through October 4, 2011. A link to the ordinances can be found on the Cleveland City Council page, but they are provided on the web by American Legal Publising Corporation. Current changes to the City ordinances can always be found in the City Record.

109 Ohio Municipal Judge Seats Up in November

Of the 109 municipal judge seats up for election in November, 39 are contested, including 5 in Cuyahoga County. The Ohio Supreme Court reminds us that municipal court judges are elected for 6 years in odd-numbered years, while all other Ohio judges are elected in even-numbered years. The Ohio Supreme Court's press release contains a link to a list of all 109 seats and the associated candidates. Each County Board of Elections would also maintain this information.

Summary of En Banc Decisions Issued by the Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals Available from 2010 Through July 2011

As part of helping someone with appellate research this week, I came across a great summary of en banc decisions from the 8th District Court of Appeals for the period 2010 through July 2011. Although the Court provides a disclaimer that the summaries are not legal advice or opinions, some of the summaries are actual journal entries issued by the Court. Click here for a link to a location for accessing full text opinions of the Court.