The Ohio Supreme Court has reinstated the law license of former Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Angela R. Stokes, daughter of the late Congressman Louis Stokes.
The court had suspended it in December 2015. At the time, she had been fighting a 2013 complaint filed against her by the Ohio Supreme Court's Office of Disciplinary Counsel. That complaint alleged Stokes had abused defendants, members of the court staff and attorneys.
According to court records, the main witness in her hearings, Municipal Court Judge Ronald Adrine, said he had never seen so many complaints about one judge in his time at the court.
Attorneys who represented Stokes, including lead attorney Larry Zukerman, said Adrine was part of a movement to get Stokes off the bench, according to court records.
Stokes and her attorneys reached an agreement with the Disciplinary Counsel a few months ago.
Because Stokes was considered a city employee -- despite her elected position -- Cleveland taxpayers have paid nearly $1 million to defend her since 2013, paying for several different lawyers that Stokes hired and fired.
Judge Angela Stokes also fought allegations that she had strained court resources.
Since her law license was suspended, she had been working at a restaurant -- Chick-fil-A in Strongsville, according to multiple media reports.
The court said the reinstatement was contingent upon her continuing to comply with "...her agreement to never run for, seek, accept appointment to, or hold any judicial position in any Ohio state court, excluding federal court positions."
