From the Metro Desk of Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)
A COMPREHENSIVE AND INVESTIGATIVE ARTICLE BELOW BY CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM
COLUMBUS, Ohio-COLUMBUS, Ohio- The all White and majority Republican Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily suspended the law license of Democratic Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Angela Stokes, who is Black and a daughter of former congressman Louis Stokes, and the niece of the late and former Cleveland mayor Carl B. Stokes, the first Black mayor of a major American city.
Stokes, who has not now, and who has never been accused of a crime, is suspended without pay, a rarity in this type of situation, and likely a violation of state law and other applicable authorities.
It is even more suspect since she only heard civil cases because Cleveland Municipal Court Presiding and Administrative Judge Ron Adrine had arbitrarily suspended her from hearing criminal cases.
How Adrine suspended a colleague is intriguing, and not supported by state law, and not by any disciplinary rule for judges, or other legal authority, a Cleveland Urban News.Com investigation reveals, and data show.
The Ohio Supreme Court has said, through case law, that only it can discipline Ohio lawyers and judges.
The suspension this week by the high court comes as Judge Stokes awaits a decision on disciplinary proceedings and could serve to deny the Black and female judge due process of law and equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, legal experts have said. The high court's order requires that Judge Stokes is suspended without pay while she awaits a ruling by the seven-member Ohio Supreme Court on what, if any, discipline will come as a result of the complaint.
The disciplinary complaint against the controversial judge, filed by Ohio Supreme Court Disciplinary Counsel Scott Drexel, who is White, alleges that Judge Angela Stokes, 60 and elected to the Cleveland Municipal Court bench in 1995, utilizes too many court resources, and that she has mistreated court personnel, attorneys, and defendants in her role as a judge in the 13-judge majority Black Cleveland Municipal Court. (Editor's note: Judge Ray Pianca is among the 13 judges but operates a separate housing court).
Her lawyer has denied all of the allegations that might lead to the suspension of the judge's license in a 41-page response to the complaint and called them a witch hunt. And he told Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's leading Black digital newspaper, that some of the allegations had been dismissed by the high court.
"Some of the allegations were previously dismissed," said Stokes attorney Richard Alkire during a half hour long interview with Cleveland Urban News.Com shortly after the complaint was filed last year against his client.
Some activists groups are unnerved by Thursday's premature decision of the Ohio Supreme Court, which is led by Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, a Republican.
"It appears to be racist and sexist, and is certainly politically motivated," said Kathy Wray Coleman, who leads the greater Cleveland grassroots group the Imperial Women Coalition and is editor-in-chief at Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's leading digital Black newspaper.
Coleman said the ruling is "arbitrary and capricious and a sign that White folks have no boundaries."
She said that the high court was too anxious to get Judge Stokes, and could have simply allowed Stokes to get paid until the proceedings concluded as they do with White men like disgraced former Bedford Pimp Judge Harry Jacob, who is currently serving a 60 day sentence for solicitation and a host of other crimes, including manipulation of court.
A White Republican, Jacob got paid his six figure salary until he was found guilty on five misdemeanor counts earlier this year by county judge Brian Corrigan in a bench trial. Corrigan also conveniently dismissed all felony counts against Jacob, and with support form county prosecutor Tim McGinty, a former county judge himself .A White Republican, Jacob got paid his six figure salary until he was found guilty on five misdemeanor counts earlier this year by county judge Brian Corrigan in a bench trial. Corrigan also conveniently dismissed all felony counts against Jacob, and with support form county prosecutor Tim McGinty, a former county judge himself.
"It is the unfairness of the proceedings against Judge Stokes, who is Black and female, that bothers us most," said Coleman, an investigative reporter who trained at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio for 17 years before branching out on her own.
It is rare, if at all, that a state supreme court would suspend the license of a judge without a hearing while he or she waits a disciplinary ruling, and without an accusation of a crime, particularly if it is to prejudice the disciplinary forum.
Under state law Ohio judges charged with a felony crime are automatically suspended with pay as the proceedings ensue, but simply taking a law license as the mere internal disciplinary proceedings get underway is unprecedented.
Ohio municipal court judges hear traffic and misdemeanor cases, and civil cases where damages sought are at or less than $15,000.
(www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)
