Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze
Leslie Ann Celebrezze is a former Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations Division in Ohio. A member of a prominent Cleveland political dynasty, she served on the bench for 16 years before resigning in disgrace in December 2025 and being sentenced to jail in June 2026 following a public corruption scandal.
Profile Summary:
| Professional Timeline | Career Milestones & Case Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Leslie Ann Celebrezze |
| Age | 54 (as of 2026) |
| Education | Kent State University; University of Akron School of Law |
| Judicial Tenure | 2009 – December 22, 2025 |
| Prior Profession | Registered Nurse |
| Criminal Status | Convicted felon; sentenced to 60 days in jail on June 1, 2026 |
Judicial Career & Political Dynasty:
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- Historical Election: Elected in 2009, she became the first female member of the historic Celebrezze family to run for and win public office. She succeeded her father on the Domestic Relations bench.
- Family Legacy: The Celebrezze family has occupied major Ohio offices since the 1920s, including Cleveland mayor, state attorney general, and Ohio Supreme Court justice.
- Re-election: She successfully won her last re-election campaign in November 2020.
Scandals & Criminal Case:
- Steering Work to Friend: Media investigations by The Marshall Project – Cleveland revealed that Celebrezze manually assigned lucrative divorce cases to herself to steer nearly $500,000 in court-appointed receiver fees to a longtime friend, Mark Dottore.
- Records Tampering: While serving as Administrative Judge, she falsely logged in official entries that the lucrative cases had been “randomly assigned” to her.
- Retaliation Lawsuit: Celebrezze was implicated in a federal whistleblower lawsuit by her former assistant, Georgeanna Semary, who was demoted after releasing public records. Cuyahoga County settled the suit for $400,000.
- Resignation & Conviction: Following an FBI and state disciplinary probe, she resigned on December 21, 2025. She pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony count of tampering with records in early 2026.
- Jail Sentence (June 2026): On June 1, 2026, Visiting Judge Mark Wiest sentenced Celebrezze to 60 days in jail and ordered her to pay a $10,000 fine. The Ohio Supreme Court also issued a suspension of her law license.
