Keep Judge Clary on county court

As a former colleague of Judge Timothy Clary, I am heartened to see our Cleveland Heights neighbor's endorsement by the Plain Dealer.

Having served in civil and criminal law, as an assistant prosecutor for the state, and for community members as an assistant public defender, Clary has a breadth of experience that is refreshing to see in a member of the judiciary. His ”excellent” ratings from five of six bar associations who evaluated candidates demonstrate the superior qualifications he has accrued over his 13 years of practice.  

Serving as a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judge over the last year, Clary has held himself to high standards during his time on the bench, with tremendous incisiveness and leadership. As someone who works in the Justice Center every day, it is energizing to see the way he treats others with respect and maintains composure in the most difficult of cases. The firm yet humane standards he sets on his bench each day demonstrate the critically important work being done by a judge who cares about the community. 

This special election is required to finish out the term of the late Judge Michael J. Russo. In two years, there will be another election for a full term. [Appointed by Gov. DeWine,] Clary is the fourth jurist on this bench in the past two years.

As someone who observes the inner workings of the justice system every day, lack of continuity and delays caused by changing judges results in confusion, complications, and delay. Families of victims are frustrated, defendants are kept in prolonged lack of resolution and pretrial detention, and the court system is backlogged.

Clary has tackled Courtroom 18-B’s docket in the most efficient way possible given its challenges. He maintained the previous staff for the most fluid transition. He welcomes people into his courtroom to observe what is going on in a transparent effort to involve the community in the justice system. While maintaining standards of fairness and due process, he recognizes justice delayed is justice denied and pushes cases along toward appropriate resolution. Keeping Judge Clary not only means keeping someone great, but it also makes sense that we do not further disrupt this courtroom for the sake of politics. 

Let us continue to keep the wealth of experience and enthusiasm Clary has displayed throughout his career and current successful tenure on the bench. I encourage you to vote for CH resident Judge Timothy W. Clary on Nov. 5.