This is The Marshall Project - Cleveland’s newsletter, a twice monthly digest of criminal justice news from around Ohio gathered by our staff of local journalists. Want this delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to future newsletters.
Ohio law denies release for hundreds of people in prison
The Marshall Project - Cleveland this month will take a first look at how a relatively new Ohio law denies the release of people for allegedly breaking prison rules.
On the books now for six years, the Reagan Tokes law was the Ohio legislature’s response to a sensational and horrific crime. Just months after serving time in prison for a rape and kidnapping conviction, Brian Golsby abducted, raped and murdered Reagan Tokes, a 21-year-old woman preparing to graduate from the Ohio State University with a degree in social work. The state prison system was supposed to be watching the ankle-monitored Golsby.
Instead of adopting broader reforms to strengthen post-release monitoring, the legislature gave the prison system’s often obscure disciplinary process the power to add months or years to the minimum sentences of incarcerated people. More than 14,500 people have been sentenced under the new law since it took effect in 2019. It had been the source of countless appeals before being affirmed by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Today, we explain the origin of the controversial law and how it’s supposed to work.
Later this month, we’ll show how prison administrators have delayed the release of nearly 400 incarcerated people, and counting, with no external oversight, internal auditing or due process rights for people accused of violating prison rules. Critics maintain that the state’s unbalanced application of the law actually undermines public safety by depriving incarcerated people of the chance to demonstrate their rehabilitation.
– Doug Livingston
Celebrezze invokes right to remain silent in hearing
Embattled Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to testify during a disciplinary hearing on March 31.
Days earlier, Celebrezze admitted in court records to allegations by the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel of steering lucrative work to her longtime friend Mark Dottore.
Celebrezze will learn of any recommended disciplinary sanctions when Disciplinary Counsel Joseph Caligiuri files closing arguments in writing by April 30, according to Ohio Supreme Court records. Celebrezze and her attorney will have until May 30 to respond. Caligiuiri will then have until June 13 to counter, if he chooses.
Celebrezze’s legal troubles began after The Marshall Project - Cleveland in 2023 investigated the ties between her and Dottore. The reporting was followed by the disciplinary counsel action, as well as a separate ongoing criminal investigation by the FBI.
Just last week, FBI agents reached out to people involved in a divorce, seeking to interview them about how Celebrezze handled aspects of their case.
Celebrezze has conceded in court papers to being in love with Dottore and assigning him receivership cases that allow him to bill wealthy divorcing couples for handling their finances while their cases are pending.
Celebrezze took office in 2009 after voters elected her to replace her father, James Celebrezze, who had served nearly two decades on the Domestic Relations Court and two years on the Ohio Supreme Court.
Neither she nor Dottore has responded to messages seeking comment.
– Mark Puente
ICE approves three Ohio sheriffs to enforce immigration law
Seneca County Sheriff Frederick Stevens, Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones and Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski are the first in Ohio to ask U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to train and authorize their deputies to enforce immigration law.
Last year, Zuchowski called undocumented immigrants “illegal human locusts.”Jones recently put an “Illegal Aliens Here” sign outside the county jail. And for nearly 20 years, the Seneca County Jail has charged ICE a daily rate to house immigrant detainees who face deportation.
The new agreements, which vary in scope, would allow deputies to serve federal warrants, question the citizenship of people they stop or jail, and initiate deportation proceedings.
The agreements generate no additional revenue for local counties while potentially increasing costs. Under the policy, ICE would pay travel expenses to train deputies on immigration law. Then it’s up to the counties to cover the transportation of detainees and personnel costs, including overtime and wages, for deputies who arrest immigrants.
ICE provides no equipment under the agreement. If requested by a detainee who does not speak English, local sheriffs must pay for interpreters, who can be employed by the sheriffs.
Local sheriffs, according to the agreements, also bear the financial responsibility of property damage, injury, death or other “incidents giving rise to liability” while “acting under color of Federal authority.” The United States Department of Justice would defend deputies named in potential lawsuits.
The agreements also require local sheriffs to say virtually nothing to the media or public about who they arrest, in accordance with the Federal Privacy Act of 1974 and Department of Homeland Security rules.
– Doug Livingston
Let us know if your driver’s license suspension is lifted
On April 9, a new Ohio law went into effect that removes driver’s license suspensions and registration blocks issued by courts in minor traffic and ticket offenses for some people who didn’t pay court fines or fees.
The state will send out letters to people across the state explaining the process, and The Marshall Project - Cleveland has already heard from more than 220 people who either have questions about the law or hope to get relief.
If you get a letter from the state about your driver’s license suspension, let us know at cleveland@themarshallproject.org. If you have a question about the law, submit it here.
– Rachel Dissell
Marshall Project staff return to Garfield Heights for community event on county jail
The Marshall Project - Cleveland hosted a second community event on April 4 that focused on conditions inside the Cuyahoga County Jail and plans for the new jail coming to Garfield Heights.
The event, which took place at Miss O’s Cafe, 12672 Rockside Road, included updates and answers to questions residents posed at a December gathering. County Executive Chris Ronayne’s office had declined multiple requests for an interview about the jail, but a spokesperson provided answers through an email.
Garfield Heights Mayor Matt Burke also addressed the gathering and said that he also does not know what the site plan is for the new jail. “To be honest with you,” he said, “if we could, we would have stopped it from happening.”
Burke reminded the audience that county officials will be at a Garfield Heights town hall on April 24 to provide a jail campus update.
Aside from answering questions on the jail, Marshall Project staff writer Brittany Hailer and outreach manager Louis Fields updated the audience on the news outlet’s investigations into the jail.
They highlighted news reports including how two men didn’t survive their incarceration at the Cuyahoga County Jail, the county’s issues with transparency, recent jail inspections, and the history of Summit Food Service LLC, the jail’s new food provider.
For more information and jail updates, and to connect directly with our reporters, join our Facebook group.
– Brittany Hailer
Around the 216
- Marcus Perez is officially out as administrator of the Office of Professional Standards, which investigates complaints against Cleveland police officers. Perez leaves behind a two-year stint filled with controversy and criticism. Signal Cleveland
- Two Cuyahoga County jail workers have been placed on leave while administrators investigate allegations that they engaged in unprofessional behavior by overseeing a “fight club” involving men being held at the facility. News 5
- Summit County Jail officials are investigating the death of a woman who was being held in the Akron facility. Leah Allison, 24, was reportedly having difficulties breathing on March 31. She was hospitalized and died a short time later. Akron Beacon Journal
