CLEVELAND — Official documents say Judge Pinky Carr "conducted business in a manner benefitting a game show host rather than a judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court" and the ways she acted "could not help but seriously compromise the integrity of the court."
Now, she has been suspended indefinitely by the Supreme Court of Ohio, and Gov. Mike DeWine is set to pick her replacement.
"There is no question that the conduct engaged in by Judge Pinky Carr is egregious and lasted for a period of two years," Carr's own attorney Nicholas Froning told the seven justices back in April. "She's admitted to that, she's stipulated to that, she has taken full responsibility for her conduct."
In addition to Carr requiring people to come into court during the COVID-19 shutdown, a 126-page report outlines more misconduct, including a time where she sent someone to jail for 15 days in a situation the Supreme Court defined as an abuse of power.
Part of the reason Carr, who has been on the bench since 2012, gave for sending the person to jail was that they rolled their eyes in court and cursed in lockup, according to the documents.
Carr is eligible to be reinstated, but must take responsibility for her actions and meet certain stipulations for what it would take for her to return, such as getting in a contract with a lawyer assistance program and continuing to follow her doctor's treatment plan. Still, this penalty is considered higher than what was being asked for, which was a two-year suspension.
"There will be collateral consequences in that she is up for reelection in 2023," Disciplinary Counsel Joseph Caligiuri previously explained, "and so a two-year suspension would preclude her from running for judge again in that election cycle."
3News reached out to the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, which said given what was found in Carr's case, they support the decision for an indefinite suspension:
"The CMBA proudly and consistently supports local judges who serve the citizens of Northeast Ohio with honor and distinction. We have every confidence in their honesty, integrity and fairness, and we urge the community to share in that confidence.
"Given the egregious nature and number of incidents admitted to by Judge Carr in the course of her disciplinary proceedings, the CMBA previously expressed concern regarding her practices. Today, we support the Supreme Court’s decision to hold Judge Carr accountable for her actions because the public deserves to be served by judges and lawyers who conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct and the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct. A competent judiciary characterized by integrity is central to the rule of law.
"Fortunately, the vast majority of members of the legal profession – judges and lawyers – act professionally and ethically. We, as lawyers who practice every day before these judges, continue to have every confidence in their honesty, integrity and fairness, and we urge the community to share in that confidence."