Filed
6:00 p.m. EDT
03.27.2025
Cuyahoga County choose’s shift places her seat in jeopardy as a disciplinary listening to and FBI investigation loom, following Marshall Mission reporting.
Cuyahoga County Home Relations Choose Leslie Ann Celebrezze has admitted in court docket information to steering profitable receivership work to her longtime pal Mark Dottore.
Cuyahoga County Home Relations Choose Leslie Ann Celebrezze has now admitted in court docket information to steering profitable work to her longtime pal Mark Dottore.
The sudden admission is available in a joint movement filed by attorneys as Celebrezze was slated to face quite a few misconduct fees in a March 31 listening to with the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel.
Celebrezze has now conceded to being in love with Dottore and assigning him receivership instances that permit him to invoice rich divorcing {couples} for dealing with their funds whereas their instances are pending.
The Marshall Mission – Cleveland first started investigating the ties between Celebrezze and Dottore in 2023. The reporting has led to the disciplinary counsel motion, in addition to a separate ongoing felony investigation by the FBI.
The 2-day disciplinary listening to, which was to incorporate testimony from a number of witnesses, is not going to happen. As a substitute, an abbreviated listening to amongst attorneys will happen remotely.
Afterward, the disciplinary counsel and Celebrezze’s lawyer will submit written closing arguments inside 30 days. A 3-person panel will later suggest sanctions in opposition to Celebrezze that might doubtlessly result in her regulation license being suspended and pressure the choose to vacate her seat.
Any sanctions can be determined by Ohio Supreme Courtroom justices.
Celebrezze’s admissions to a number of judicial conduct violations have been filed in a joint movement on March 26. The movement marks a dramatic shift after months of denials by the choose.
“The events have agreed on all factual allegations, reveals, rule violations, and mitigating and aggravating elements,” the disciplinary counsel wrote. “[Celebrezze] has signed the stipulations, affirming her settlement…”
Neither Celebrezze nor Dottore responded to a number of calls or emails searching for remark.
Celebrezze took workplace in 2009 after voters elected her to exchange her father, James Celebrezze, who had served almost 20 years on the Home Relations Courtroom and two years on the Ohio Supreme Courtroom.
Dottore is a well known, profitable businessman who has endeared himself to a number of judges and courts round Northeast Ohio.
For years, these connections have raised questions on potential case steering courting again a long time, together with concerning Celebrezze’s father.
In the meantime, Celebrezze and Dottore stay the goal of an FBI and grand jury felony investigation.
Brokers are probing how Celebrezze bypassed the court docket’s random task course of to maneuver a number of profitable divorce instances to her docket and appoint Dottore and his firm as a receiver.
Celebrezze authorised almost $500,000 in charges for Dottore Firms, LLC between January 2017 and June 2023, The Marshall Mission – Cleveland reported. The choose appointed both Dottore or his daughter to be the receiver in six of the eight instances Celebrezze was dealing with on the time, in keeping with Cuyahoga County court docket information.
In 2023, Celebrezze and Dottore instructed The Marshall Mission – Cleveland that they have been lifelong mates, even after a personal investigator recorded movies of them kissing outdoors a steakhouse and Celebrezze visiting Dottore’s house and workplace quite a few instances. Every had denied a romantic relationship.
Celebrezze, who’s married, now concedes in court docket information that she liked Dottore when she bypassed the court docket’s random task course of to shift instances to her docket and subsequently appointed Dottore as receiver.
Dottore additionally served as marketing campaign treasurer when Celebrezze ran efficiently for her judgeship in 2008. Her marketing campaign headquarters was listed below Dottore’s enterprise deal with.
In August 2023, Ohio Supreme Courtroom Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy eliminated Celebrezze from a divorce case. Kennedy discovered that Celebrezze violated court docket guidelines when she bypassed court docket coverage to assign the case to her personal docket and appoint Dottore as receiver.
The Ohio Disciplinary Counsel then launched an investigation in November 2024 and alleged Celebrezze made a false assertion and had ties to Dottore. Celebrezze has already admitted to violating quite a few judicial codes of conduct for failing to recuse herself from a divorce case involving Dottore.
A large-ranging grand jury subpoena dated Feb. 12 exhibits FBI brokers requested hundreds of pages of information, together with contracts, billing data, price approvals and fee data associated to Dottore Firms, LLC.
Brokers are additionally searching for data on how the court docket’s different judges appoint receivers in divorce instances.
