Embattled Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze lost a legal battle when the Ohio Supreme Court recently rejected her appeal to dismiss a lawsuit from a former aide who accused the judge of retaliation and intimidation after her termination.
Georgeanne Semary’s lawsuit, filed in September 2023, contends she was transferred out of the judge’s office in April and forced to take a $20,000 pay cut after she allowed The Marshall Project – Cleveland to review public court records involving Celebrezze’s longtime friend and court-appointed receiver Mark Dottore.
A visiting judge dismissed the suit in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, but Semary’s attorney, Subodh Chandra, won an appeal to reinstate the case. Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy has appointed Mark Wiest, a retired judge from the Wayne County Court of Common Pleas, to oversee the case.
Cuyahoga County records show taxpayers have so far paid $250,000 for outside lawyers to defend Celebrezze. The judge did not reply to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, a state disciplinary board has recommended Celebrezze receive a two-year suspension of her law license for what it calls an extensive pattern of misconduct.
The report by the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct stated that Celebrezze made false statements to fellow judges and state investigators while steering work to Dottore. One year of the suspension could be eliminated if Celebrezze commits no further misconduct and pays the costs of the proceedings against her.
The case is now before the Ohio Supreme Court. The justices could accept the recommendation or impose a more severe penalty.
The panel’s recommendation came two years after The Marshall Project – Cleveland first began investigating Celebrezze’s relationship with Dottore. Celebrezze also faces an ongoing criminal investigation by the FBI.
This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for their Cleveland newsletter and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook.