CLEVELAND (WJW) – The Ohio State Supreme Court is now deciding if a local judge should be suspended.
The Ohio Supreme Court held a hearing Tuesday to consider what discipline Cleveland Municipal Judge Pinkey Carr should face.
Attorney Joseph Caligiuri, of the disciplinary counsel, is recommending the judge receive a two-year suspension.
She is accused of several judicial misconduct accusations, including holding hearings without a prosecutor present and issuing warrants for defendant who didn’t appear for court during the first few days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The judge is accused of ignoring a directive by the municipal court’ presiding judge to stop holding hearings because of the pandemic.
The FOX 8 I-Team interviewed Judge Carr in March 2020 and she denied that she issued warrants for anyone who did not appear in court during the COVID-19 shutdown. However, we checked court records and found she issued more than 30 warrants.
Judge Carr’s attorney, Nicholas Froning, said the judge should
receive a two-year suspension, but that 18 months of the suspension
should be stayed, meaning she would only serve a six-month suspension.
“As
the expert testified, Judge Carr suffered from mistreated or untreated
sleep apnea, menopause and a generalized mood disorder,” Froning said.
A supreme court justice, however, asked this question.
“How does sleep apnea or menopause contribute to lying?” asked Justice Patrick Fischer.
Froning responded that it caused the judge to not be able to think clearly.
But the attorney for the disciplinary counsel disagreed, saying the judge lied about her actions to her therapists, her lawyer and character witnesses.
Supreme Court justices say they are taking the matter under advisement and will issue a decision soon.
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