Councilman Mike Gallagher, who chairs the council’s Public Safety & Justice Affairs committee, encouraged the new five-member committee to delve as deeply as needed but return with actionable legislative and budgetary recommendations.
Gallagher assembled the expert advisors following months of media reports and advocacy research on how Cuyahoga County leads Ohio in sending children, most of whom are Black, to adult court and prison through a process called bindover. The committee will formalize its areas of focus, but has already noted concern with bindovers and the juvenile court’s lopsided distribution of case assignments to certain private attorneys.
Jennifer Blumhagen Yarham, executive director of Applewood, the court’s largest contractor for the private placement of children and therapeutic services
Retired Cleveland Police Commander Marvin Cross
Former Common Pleas Judge Robert McClelland
Retired Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Ronald Adrine
Cross expressed his skepticism, asking the council committee members if the juvenile court judges would accept their recommendations.
“From what I’m hearing, for lack of better words, it’s like everyone is in a pissing contest,” he said. “And that’s not going to help the kids.”
“I’m with Marvin,” said Adrine, who was elected to chair the committee. “I want us to … walk away from this process and say that we improved practice in Cuyahoga County and lowered the level of disparate outcomes … If we’re not going to be able to do that … I’ve got other things that I could spend my time on.”
Gibbons and Gallagher, who has spoken with Juvenile Court Administrative Judge Tom O’Malley, said the court is willing to cooperate. Gibbons is planning informational sessions on how the court operates for the next meeting on July 29.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0