On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, WKYC reported that the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas will recuse all of its judges from presiding over the records tampering case involving former Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze. The decision stems from Celebrezze’s recent position as a sitting judge within the domestic division of the same court.

Judge Michael P. Shaughnessy, the administrative and presiding judge of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, announced the recusal in a journal entry. He stated that the court will request the Ohio Supreme Court’s Chief Justice to appoint a visiting judge to oversee the case to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

The announcement coincided with Celebrezze’s scheduled pretrial conference on January 7. However, the hearing was postponed to a later date. Prior to this development, Judges Lauren Moore and Andrew Santoli of the Common Pleas Court had already recused themselves from the case.

Celebrezze, 54, faces one count of tampering with records, a third-degree felony. She entered a not guilty plea during her initial court appearance last month, and her bond was set at $5,000. Following the indictment, she resigned from her position as judge.

Ian Friedman, Celebrezze’s attorney, issued a statement asserting her acceptance of responsibility for the situation. He emphasized that Celebrezze waived her right to a Grand Jury presentation, opting for indictment by information. Friedman urged caution against judging her solely on this single act, highlighting her extensive career dedicated to public service.

The charges against Celebrezze stem from an incident on January 19, 2023, when she allegedly filed a fraudulent journal entry. According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, the entry contained false information indicating that she had been randomly assigned to a case. However, prosecutors allege that Celebrezze, in her capacity as Administrative Judge, had manually assigned herself to the case, a fact not reflected in the journal entry.

The investigation into the matter was a collaborative effort between the Cleveland office of the FBI and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley emphasized the importance of integrity on the bench, stating that any deviation erodes the foundation of the courts and the justice system.

Following the allegations, Celebrezze was immediately suspended from her judicial duties before her resignation.

 

 

Source: WKYC