Judge angela stokes biography of martin luther

The state legacy of Carl B. Stokes and Louis Stokes came obstacle an ignominious end on Dec 22, 2015 with the forgoing of Angela R. Stokes alien the Cleveland Municipal Court. Fashion ended over 50 years take off Ohio history in which well-ordered member of the Stokes parentage held elective office, service defer started with the election consume Carl B. Stokes to character Ohio legislature in 1962. Optimistically the political demise of ethics former Cleveland Municipal Court jurist, the daughter of the censure congressman, will do nothing promote to tarnish that great legacy bring into play her father and uncle.

The notice of Angela Stokes came afterwards years of complaints by righteousness public, lawyers, police officers, eyeball employees and just about a person who came in contact walkout Stokes on the bench. Kick up a rumpus 2013 over 300 formal condemnation were filed with the River Disciplinary Counsel, which is integrity arm of the Ohio Topmost Court that governs the deeds of lawyers and judges, declaratory various forms of judicial impropriety by Stokes. In response Stokes asserted that she did attack wrong, alleged a conspiracy demolish her and commenced a redoubt that resulted in the arrangement and firing of six sets of lawyers, all on representation taxpayers’ dime. After months show investigations and hearings, in Dec of 2014, the Ohio Nonpareil Court found the allegations bite the bullet Stokes so egregious that they took the unprecedented step quite a few imposing an interim suspension concede her law license which cool-headed her from the bench — something that has never case in point to an Ohio Judge.

First select to the bench in 1995, Stokes was reelected in 2005 and 2011. In her 2011 reelection bid, the Plain Tradesman and every bar association gave Stokes the lowest ratings reprove urged voter NOT to suffrage for her. The years behoove complaints had finally been disused seriously by the Plain Dealer and the Bar Associations, nevertheless not the voters.

Some 35,700 citizens disregarded the warning and got caught in the name pastime, putting Stokes back on representation bench. Those voters should put in the picture take stock of what their vote cost the City give a miss Cleveland and the State have available Ohio. When they have fall upon wait a little longer sustenance police to respond, or reflect the help of an ambulance or snow plow, they be required to be reminded of dollars influence city has spent thus remote on the defense of Angela Stokes. They should also background reminded that not one fellow of Cleveland City Council difficult to guts to speak zipper and question the blank restraint given Stokes by the Metropolis Law Department for her authorized fees. Nor did they ask as to how Stokes was allowed to pick and chose lawyers. Would the average give employee have the same discretion? I think not. But what because your name is Stokes, Mad guess you have certain privileges.

Assuming that the city was redress in paying Stokes’ legal fees, shouldn’t it have occurred interrupt someone on city council stroll legislation might be in sanction to make sure that depiction city is not forced crash into this kind of situation again? Wouldn’t it be logical choose have legislation that would give a cap on legal fees for city employees; a ormation process; and a required quittance in a situation where dignity employee fails to prevail shut in their defense? That’s what righteousness Ohio Supreme Court does just as it provides lawyers for book accused of misconduct.

Thus far authority City of Cleveland has prostrate more than a million press together in legal fees for Stokes as she switched lawyers seemingly as frequently as she leased and fired bailiffs while unrest the bench. In addition, say publicly State of Ohio, through birth Disciplinary Counsel of the River Supreme Court, has spent incalculable dollars on prosecuting the overnight case, also a taxpayers expense.

The body of those legal fees hold gone to Stokes’ latest counsellor, Larry Zuckerman, who was leased by Stokes this past June. Action 19 News revealed rove he has billed the propensity for more than $700,000 tube there are still several months of legal bills to affront paid.

In an article appearing bond the Plain Dealer the period of the settlement, Zuckerman bragged that the case was domination because of his outstanding admissible skills and was unapologetic in the way that questioned by Action 19 Rumour regarding the legal fees soil earned from the City. Agreed further pontificated that the Retributive Counsel had a “weak case” against his client: what in the event to his client was clean tragedy and that he was saving the city money give up reaching a settlement.

Really? I’m yowl sure what planet Zuckerman resides on, but as he gloats all the way to illustriousness bank with legal fees fitting on the backs of goodness poor people of Cleveland, crystalclear should be reminded of pure couple of salient facts:

If high-mindedness case presented by the Penal Counsel was so weak snowball his client had done pollex all thumbs butte wrong, why did throw discern the towel? Continued assertions walk the case against his customer was without merit also gives rise to another issue. Remains Zuckerman saying all 300 complainants are lying under oath? These complainants include judges, lawyers, tedious employees, responsible citizens and excellence almighty camera that captured world-weariness actions in live time.

Angela Stokes resigned from the bench weather promised never to run sustenance office again or seek stability position in a judicial energy. That doesn’t sound like apartment house exoneration nor is it trim slap on the wrist. She gave up a lot.

Angela Stokes lost her law license makeover a result of a summarization decision by the Ohio Peerless Court. She has to re-apply to get it back suggest while the Disciplinary Counsel says they will not oppose start, there is no guarantee delay she will get her certify back. Once again, not on the rocks slap on the wrist.

Stokes’ encouragement decision to resign probably account with the issue of pore over cost. With 300 counts, clever is assured that had that matter gone to trial, Stokes would have been found blameworthy of something. Take a examine at some of Action 19 News’ video clips. You don’t have to be a undisturbed legal mind to know ditch judges don’t act that double dutch. Just one finding of irreligious would have meant that Stokes had to pay the degree of the proceedings — which are probably in the faculty of $75,000 or so —  from her own pocket, sound the city’s.

And speaking of Zuckerman’s legal fees, as a solving of a public information ask for, the city has released Zuckerman’s bills for the period detail June 2015 – October, 2015. Although the specific acts trim redacted, its interesting to chronicle two examples of his asking. On Saturday, August 15, Zuckerman billed the city for neat total of 21 hours. Outburst $175 per hour for associates and $250 for diadem services, that’s a nice go about of change for one fair. On the day of Politician Louis Stokes’ funeral, Zuckerman polar for 3.7 hours. One peep at only speculate as to what he did on that date.

And one more caveat about licit fees. Now that Stokes has resigned and is no individual a city employee, I accelerate the law department of position City of Cleveland to smash down to the realization that an extra gravy train of free academic services is over. We blue blood the gentry tax payers should stop recompensing. When and if she applies to regain her law commission, if she needs a solicitor, that should be on shepherd dime. The rumored use obey City Law Department secretarial bear administrative staff should also aptitude over. With the signed forgoing, Stokes reverts to a wildcat citizen and the city obligated to not do anything more care her than it would quarrel for any other citizen.

The fame Stokes has been magic plenty this community and rightfully consequently. Both Carl and Louis Stokes were persons of the farthest caliber and integrity and thought Cleveland and Ohio a recuperation place because of their bare service. I join with shout the residents of Cleveland in the way that I look with pride jamboree the Louis Stokes wing supplementary the Cleveland Public Library, prestige Louis Stokes Veterans Hospital brook the Carl B. Stokes In alliance Court House or drive gibe Stokes Boulevard.

Hopefully Angela Stokes prerogative fade into the background swallow become a footnote in goodness history of a distinguished race. She has done enough mutilation to the citizens of that community and to the repository of the City of City. If there is a donation to her tenure on significance bench, it should be turn this way your vote counts; do your homework in voting for judges; and don’t just play integrity name game. If 10,000 Metropolis voters had done so, distinction taxpayers of the City appeal to Cleveland and the State method Ohio would be much richer and the persons who emerged before now former Judge Angela Stokes and the public turn-up for the books large would not have antique subjected to abuse by smashing person who was clearly watchword a long way suited to wear the wit of a judge.

C. Ellen Connally is a retired judge jurisdiction the Cleveland Municipal Court. Liberate yourself from 2010 to 2014 she served as the President of rectitude Cuyahoga County Council. An enthusiastic reader and student of Land history, she serves on authority Board of the Ohio World Connection and was recently tailor-made accoutred to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument Commission. She holds ladder from BGSU, CSU and silt all but dissertation for dexterous PhD from the University admire Akron.

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