The courtroom conduct of Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Angela Stokes is a problem that needs addressing. So says the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline in a 49-page report, first obtained and made public by 19 Action News Reporter Paul Orlousky.
The document details years of abusive behavior by Stokes that drains the court’s resources and has “negatively impacted every component of the criminal justice system that she has come into contact with” as a judge and says Stokes may be “suffering from mental illness that substantially impairs her ability to perform her duties as a judicial officer.”
It lays out abuse-upon-abuse in the courtroom from Stokes, who’s been a judge in the municipal court since 1995. The final section (“Request for Mental Health Evaluations”) states the following (emphasis ours):
240:
As alleged in the counts above, it is clear that for the past several years respondent:
a. Has been unable to efficiently run a courtroom;
b. Perceives problems where there are none;
c. Engages in unprofessional conduct, including needless shouting matches with prosecutors, defense counsel, court employees, and the public; and
d. Views comments/questions about her decisions or actions as a personal attach on her and the integrity of the court.
241:
From a global perspective, respondent’s behavior has negatively impacted every component of the criminal justice system that she has come into contact with as a judicial officer including prosecutors, public defenders, security bailiffs, personal bailiffs, court reporters, psychiatric clinic employees, probation officers, defendants, and the public — and has led to the adoption of several court-wide rules or department policy changes in order to accommodate respondent’s unwarranted use of court resources and constantly changing expectations.
242:
Despite these accommodations, respondent has been unable or unwilling to recognize that most, if not all, of the problems in her courtroom are the result of her own actions. Rather than accepting responsibility for her conduct and working towards a resolution, respondent persists in blaming others for the problems in her courtroom.
243:
Based upon the above facts and allegations, relator believes the respondent may be suffering from mental illness that substantially impairs her ability to perform her duties as a judicial officer. In accordance with Gov. Bar R. V(7)(C), relator requests that the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline or the hearing panel assigned to this case order a psychiatric examination of respondent by one or more physicians designated by the Board or hearing panel.
Check out the full report for yourself:
Judge Stokes (PDF)
Judge Stokes (Text)
Here’s a profile of Angela Stokes on the the Cleveland Municipal Court website: “Judge Angela R. Stokes was born and raised in the greater Cleveland community and comes from a family of distinguished public servants. She is the daughter of retired U.S. Congressman Louis Stokes and Jay Stokes, and former educators Mildred and the late Rufus Foster. Judge Stokes is also the niece of the late Carl B. Stokes, former U.S. Ambassador, Mayor of Cleveland and Judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court.”
Some of the issues in the report have been written about by the Plain Dealer’s Mark Naymik in the past. From 2009:
Over Stokes’ 14 years on the bench, she had changed bailiffs 25 times before. By comparison, the court’s 12 other judges — whose tenures range from a few months to 27 years — changed bailiffs a combined seven times…. Other issues include:
-An excessive use of drug, alcohol and psychiatric tests for defendants.
-A slow-moving courtroom that keeps lawyers, police and witnesses waiting.
-Unsubstantiated complaints about court workers.
-Frequent requests for background histories on defendants — after she has already sentenced them.
This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2013.
Well Judge Stokes may have issues as do most Judges that issue life changing sentences. Take for example, the Montana Judge G. Todd Baugh who sentenced a rapist of a 14 yr old to 30 days in jail. As all of us from Cleveland know the former Cuyahoga County Sheriff Gerald McFaul only hired friends and family to work in various aspects of the courts. Therefore, Judge Stokes changing bailiffs over twenty times during her tenure should not been seen as an issue. The Cuyahoga County Sheriffs Office is corrupt and has been investigated multiple times by federal and state agencies. I read this 50 pg review of Judge Stokes behavior and it appears that she stressed the court staff and that it is an issue between the Bailiffs and her. Read section 236 about the woman that slammed a door in the the courtroom because her arms were full? Read section 148 and see the Judge is to blame and not the prosecutor? Maybe I am just reading too much into this, but I think anyone who takes the time to read all 50 pages will find something questionable as to Judge Stokes being an “Asshole”. Bottom line I have not read of any cases in which a Rapist was let go by Judge Stokes or see any cause to believe that such a thing would happen in her court. I think this is a matter of the Sheriffs’ Office and city finance testing its power to throw out a Judge.
DDD cant you read or what ???sounds like she is a problem from what I read if you see no problem then ur just like her in need of help.
First off, Judge Stokes works in Cleveland Municipal Court which deals primarily with misdemeanors, so she isn’t giving ‘life changing sentences’. She is known throughout the Justice Center as the worst Judge who they constantly have to make special rules & provisions for. When there are this many problems with this many people from all aspects of the court process, one has to surmise that she is the problem. From Defendants, Court Reporters, Bailiffs, Sheriffs, Probation Officers, Prosecutors, Defense Attorneys and even other Judges, the list of complaints should be a huge red flag that there is a problem. As far as her being an a**hole, she is excessively rude to people (whether Defendants or court workers), has made racist comments in open court, has repeatedly thrown workers & other people out of court for coughing & sneezing & publicly embarrasses and belittles people. Sounds pretty a-hole to me.
Judge Stokes has never,….not even one time given a “life changing sentence”. Mostly what she does is tie up an already overburdened system, and burns out her staff. Anyone who sticks up for her is a complete moron. Anyone who continues to vote for her, shouldn’t be voting.
Also DDD did you even read the article? Are you even familiar with whats going on here? What does the Sheriffs Office have to do with it? What does the city finances have to do with it? Youre an idiot!
Her glued on white womans look like wig has squeezed her small brain to much
Judge Stokes handles traffic and misdemeanor cases for Cleveland Municipal Court, not Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s dept or Felony court. Because I have witnessed her behavior for years due to my job, I know these accusations to be true. Anyone that has ever been in her courtroom can also tell you how true they are. She stresses out her personal bailiff’s and can’t keep one for very long. The only thing that keeps her in office is the Stokes name. She needs to be subjected to her own treatment of others so she can see how it feels. She definitely wouldn’t tolerate it. BTW, that is not a wig on her head, it’s her own hair.
the state disciplinary counsel’s office….often makes serious targets out of significant political “named” lawyers and judges…and in particular, those who were the Democratic black robe in Ohio
this is not to say..this judge, Ms Stokes, may have done somethings that are hard, or difficult and/or very stressful against various staff defendants and other lawyers….indeed, as I read this
I can recall many a judge engaging in similar conduct, at various times, right in front of any experienced criminal defense attorney at any given time
maybe hers is excessive and out of bounds…
but…no doubt…the Ohio Supreme Court itself, and its disciplinary counsel love to use the term “mental health exam” in a manner…that indicates..
they, not their peers in the law profession….are using very powerful and complex systems ….
to try to label their political opponents…
its not the first time they have done this against an African American judge with lots of experience in ohio
and they also have done it against a noted eastern Ohio civil rights solo plaintiff’s lawyer
mayb…just mayb….they need to obtain a serious medical degree or have trained psychologists…to actually do interviews with such peers in the law
…before they banter around…career damaging, serious medical terminology so readily and easily
and again…i’m not saying the Judge STokes actions are warranted or always positive and perhaps she has a way that isn’t endearing her to any staff or counsel
but..i know as well….such complaints as listed inthis long complaint….just doesn’t seem as serious as some of things I’ve read about other judges and have witnessed and experienced
happening in this profession…when the Ohio Supreme Court Disciplinary counsel simply
looked the other way
….or if they did prosecute someone…they did so, either without any basis in medical fact
and/or they did so, acting in a highly ex parte, partisian fashion with major donor sponsored hearing officers who then were appointed to hear cases against plaintiff lawyers or Black female judges in ohio
who were directly opposed politically to their own political party appointed positions and/or had their disciplinary cases heard by hearing officers, {not supreme court justices but the disciplinary process} that were part of a larger
“pay to play” system of what large firm republican major insurance defense insurance industry awyers from corporate law firms…who had conflicts of interests w the very kinds of cases that the lawyer who was ordered to appear before them
had to try to their cases before and in vain, tried to get these same “less than Objective” hearing officers
to listen impartially to their disciplinary cases….without the hearing officers who are often times corporate counsel from our state’s largest law firms…disclosing their serious potential and actual conflict of interests with such ‘targeted” ethics “defendants”..
I feel for those who had to work under Judge STokes if this alleged conduct is true
and for those attorneys who had to work with her
however, by far and away…she isn’t alone for “abusive judge of the year” award
and certainly what I have personally experienced inside of the northeastern Ohio courts AT TIMEs…not always..but certainly inside of Cleveland itself what was alleged here
doesn’t even begin to compare…with what I have personally experienced and witnessed by the very singular acts of republican jurists
who were white republican hard core law and order state court male judges who made lawyers , defense lawyers in particular “pay a price” for simply representing their clients to their best ability and winning a jury trial in downtown Cleveland’s common pleas court
and then having this white republican male judge…w is clearly mentally ill …
place this winning jury trial criminal defense attorney in jail….
for winning the case…a case that the judge clearly was seriously stating constantly on the record and before the proseutors and the defense attorney…very seriouslyl biased and perjorative things about both the defendant and the lawyer for the defendant
as it came out…the jury verdict aquitted this defendant …based in part on Cleveland officer testimony itself….the judge went simply mad
and this white republican male judge who loves all things law and order …and everyone knows who it is…who has practiced before him
ordered the winning lawyer, himself to jail …for contempt…for…”defamaing Cleveland’s finest” during the trial
interestingly..what the jury was a defense lawyer doing his level best to make sure the facts of the arrest were well evenly and justly presented to a mainly all white jury…who then found after four days in favor of the defendant…
was perceived by this extremely biased white republican male judge on the bench in Cleveland
as being….
“defamatory of the Cleveland finest”…and jailed that very lawyer within minutes of the jury verdict
was this NOT conduct “undermining the administration of justice and threat to the public confidence in the administration of justice”
and was this conduct not “unprofessional and untoward as expected from a supposedly fair and impartial judge?
will this judge ever held accountable for his actions towards this defense counsel for this counsel winning the major part of this critical cxirminal case before this very hostile and verbally abusive white republican male judge in Cuyahoga County
beware folks….of those who claim to be upholding the “righteousness of the law” and yet
they themselves will not touch the burdens they place onto others
jesus had a word for such high disciplinary counsel “ethics” counsel who only judge those whom they find not comfortably capable of fitting into their own little legal circles of similar political persuasion
its serious difficult business and perhaps, there is probable cause here to believe in this particular judges over bearing and wrongful conduct as alleged…maybe she doesn’ need to chill out bigtime
but…I know what I saw many a white republican law and order judge do to both defendants and criminal defense lawyers…and never ever would in a million man days…would such white male republican jurists around this state
be ever subjected to this kind of “mental health” status that Ms. Stokes is being targeted by
she again isn’t the only Female, well respected African American jurists that has been targeted before by Jonathan Coughlins’ office
and she…sadly..probably wont be the last…until things change at the top of this profession at the supreme court itself….
‘
a heavily …white republican majority supreme court of ohio
I was in Stokes courtroom about two months ago with my son who had a traffic ticket. We had to come back due to her being petty about the wording on my proof of insurance card, mind you my son is covered. Both visits kept us in here courtroom for 8 hours, while she nit picked over the smallest things. Things like calling downstairs to see if a man’s ankle monitor could be switched to the opposite leg. This was something that the man had to go to the office himself to take care of. But she made us sit and go through the phone conversation with her.
I was thrown out of her courtroom and escorted to the elevator because i handed my jacket to the young lady sitting behind me . She whispered that it was cold, i simply handed her my jacket, without saying a word. The young lady and the man sitting next to her were put in a holding cell. They were removed after a while and were told to sit in seats to the left of the judge, she asked me if i had a case in her courtroom i said no, so she ordered her bailiff to escort me off of the floor.
I am a witness to her insanity, she definitely has something going on upstairs, . It is a shame that people are allowing her to ride on the Stokes fine name, she is nothing like her father or uncle. They would never dream of treating people the way she does.
Anyone who defends who has never experienced the wrath of being in her courtroom. I’m talking from firsthand experience. People need to stop voting this nut in just because she is a Stokes!!!
Yes this lady is terrible. In the summer of 1998 I was put on probation for a traffic ticket. I was also the last person to be seen after being thrown out of court for someone else exhaling too hard.
Omg Im so glad someone addressed the the “rape” comment!! I worked as a legal assistant and had to go into her courtroom to file a motion late in the day 4:45 pm there were still people who had been there since 9 am waiting to be seen. I failed to turn my phone off and when i got a text message i scurried to turn my phone off, she had my phone confiscated and would not allow me to speak, 30 mins later i tried to walk out of the courtroom because i was off at 5 and my husband would be in front of my office to pick me up and i had no way to communicate with him where I was, she had her bailiff bring me back in to the courtroom and screamed at me and threatened to throw me in jail. It was horrible!! none of this surprises me~
The people who are saying that a municipal court judge cannot hand out a life changing sentence obviously have no experience with domestic violence cases. Most domestic violence cases are misdemeanors, and as such would be tried in front of a municipal court judge. Try getting a job as a nurse, school teacher, or other position that involves caring for individuals with a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. Misdemeanor marijuana convictions can be future job killers. Even something as simple as a license suspension, which happens all the time, can have serious consequences for someone, even if they are able to get work privileges. Spend a little time in municipal court before you say that a municipal court judge doesn’t have the power to change your life.
I HAVE BEEN IN COURT 8X FOR A 4TH DEGREE MISDEMEANOR. THE WOMAN SENT ME TO DRUG AND ALCOHOL ASSESSMENT, A PSYCH EVALUATION, 1 YEAR OF PROBATION WITH URINALYSES 2X A MONTH, (NO EVIDENCE OF ILLEGAL DRUG OR LEGAL ALCOHOL WAS EVER LINKED TO MY CASE) AND CONTINUED PORNOGRAPHY COUNSELING. 1 WOULD BE IN HER ROOM FOR 7-10 HOURS BEFORE I WAS SEEN ON ANY ONE OF THOSE 8X. I WAS PLACED IN JAIL FOR 2 DAYS FOR THE “DOOR SLAM” THING AND A DIFFERENT TWO DAY SENTENCE BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T BELIEVE SOMETHING I SAID THAT MY PROBATION OFFICER TOLD ME. THIS WAS A 4TH DEGREE MISDEMEANOR. IT DID NOT WARRANT ALL THESE SANCTIONS. FRUSTRATED AT THE POSSBILITY OF HAVING TO DEAL WITH HER ANOTHER 9 MONTHS ON PROBATION, I PETITIONED THE COURT TO REVOKE MY PROBATION AND LET ME DO THE 22 DAYS IN JAIL. IN ESSENCE I TOOK BACK CONTROL OF MY LIFE AND REMOVED HER FROM HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. I WOULD DO IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT. IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC, SHE PLACED MY PUBLIC DEFENDER IN THE HOLDING CELL AFTER HAVING A JUVENILE SHOUTING MATCH WITH HIM, SHE HAS ARGUED WITH THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY AND OTHER ATTORNEYS FOR QUESTIONING A DECISION SHE MADE. I HAVE SEEN HER RIDICULE THE BAILIFFS SEVERAL TIMES CLAIMING THAT SHE HAS “TO DO THE BAILIFFS JOB”. THIS DIMINISHES THE PERCEIVED AUTHORITY OF THE STAFF WHEN THE PUBLIC IS EXPOSED TO THIS PUBLIC SCOLDING. 27 BAILIFF CHANGES COMPARED TO THE OTHER 12 JUDGES’ 7 CHANGES COMBINED, IS NOT REASONABLE. THE ROTATION IN COURT STAFF IS SPECIAL WHEN IT COMES TO HER AND NO OTHER JUDGE HAS A NEED FOR ANY SPECIAL AND ADJUSTED ROTATION. SHE IS A VERY HARD WORKER AND SMART AND THOROUGH. I VOTED FOR THIS WOMAN SOLELY BECAUSE OF HER NAME WHICH I AM EMBARRASSINGLY ASHAMED. BUT IF SHE SURVIVES THIS LATEST INVESTIGATION, WHICH SHE PROBABLY WILL, I WILL DEDICATE MY TIME TO SUPPORT OPPOSING CANDIDATES IN 2018 SHOULD I LIVE THAT LONG. ALTHOUGH THOROUGH, SMART AND HARDWORKING, SHE HAS NO BUSINESS WHATSOEVER ON ANY BENCH. SHE SHOULD RETIRE OR FIND EMPLOYMENT WHERE SHE HAS NO CONTROL OVER PEOPLE’S LIVES…SHE COULD BE A VERY GOOD EMPLOYEE IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT FIELD. THE SUPREME COURT IS RIGHT, SHE NEEDS A PSYCH EVALUATION BECAUSE SHE REFUSES TO SEE HER PART IN ALL THE COMPLAINTS… AND THINKS THERE IS NO PROBLEM. EVERY JUDGE HAS COMPLAINTS BY VIRTUE OF THEIR JOB…BUT NO ONE HAS ANYTHING REMOTELY NEAR THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS THE DISHONORABLE JUDGE ANGELA R. STOKES RECEIVES. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO THRU THE MENTAL BASHING CONSTANTLY ISSUED BY THIS JUDGE AND ANYONE WHO SUPPORTS HER HAS NOT SPENT 3 OR 4 DAYS IN HER COURT ROOM ALL DAY. ONLY THEN WILL YOU SEE THE NEED FOR CHANGES IN COURTROOM 15C AND THAT THE 50 PAGE COMPLAINT ONLY TOUCHES THE SURFACE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM. CHRISTOPHER T. WILSON
My daughter’s boyfriend had been FALSELY accused of throwing a rock at a neighbor. The woman committed perjury in Judge Stokes Court. Judge Stokes made numerous insulting and negative remarks to the public defender. who was trying to defend my daughter’s boyfriend. The woman was erroneously referring to my daughter’s boyfriend as “my son”. Judge Stokes got this woman a victim assistance worker, and refused to listen to the two witnesses, including myself. We had subpoenas which Judge Stokes ignored. I went to that kangaroo court five times, ALL day, for a nine o’clock hearing, just to see an innocent person get convicted of a misdemeanor that he did not commit. So much for innocent until proven guilty in Judge Stokes court. How many other innocent people has she erroneously convicted????? By the way, I was sitting in the back of the court room and whispered a 5 word sentence to the gentleman sitting next to me. She looked at me with her evil eye and made a nasty comment to me.
Judge Stokes just filed her response, denying all allegations made by the Grievance Committee. That sure sounds like an unsupportable position to me. If ANY of this can be proven she needs to be removed.
Porchmonkey, when you attack Judge Stokes as a woman, you lend credence to those who claim bigotry is what underlies her disciplinary action. Unlike “c**t”, anyone, of any age, race, gender, creed or political affiliation, can be an asshole.
This is what happens when someone is put into a job because of their race or gender and not their ability.
Why haven’t those who proposed this nut for office been exposed? Everyone who encouraged this idiot should be named and everyone they propose in the future should be soundly rejected.
She is clearly “QUITE MAD”!!!!
Porch monkey, you do us all proud with your eloquent and intelligent posting.
If you are indeed back on the street, looks like another one slipped through the cracks of our justice system.
Other assholes with a gavel, but not in Ohio in Michigan: Judge Cedric Simpson and Judge Rae Lee Chabot.
Other assholes holding a gavel, not in Ohio in Michigan. Judge Cedric Simpson and Judge Rae Lee Chabot.
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