Ohio Supreme Court removes judge for 'unprecedented' conduct, running court like 'a game show host'

The Ohio Supreme Court this week suspended a municipal judge in Cleveland over what the high court claimed was persistent and "unprecedented" misconduct while running her courtroom. 

Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Pinkey Carr "was suspended indefinitely and removed from office" on Tuesday, the Ohio government said in a press release. 

The high court "found that Judge Carr’s 'unprecedented misconduct' over a two-year period included 'blatant and systematic disregard of due process the law, court orders, and local rules'," the press release stated.

Carr "also was repeatedly dishonest, treated court staff and litigants disrespectfully, abused her power to issue arrest warrants and find individuals in contempt of court."

The high court had found in a review by the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct that Carr "conducted business in a manner befitting a game show host rather than a judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court.”

Carr during the disciplinary process "acknowledged that she often held hearings without a prosecutor present to avoid complying with the safeguards in state law," the government said; it also claimed that Carr "falsified court journal entries by claiming that the prosecutor had amended charges or that she had held hearings to determine a defendant’s ability to pay fines or court costs."

In addition to violating procedural guidelines, Carr "also violated rules governing the appropriate dress, order, and decorum for courtrooms," the press release said.

"Her bench was littered with dolls, cups, novelty items, and junk," the government said. "She presided over her courtroom wearing tank tops, T-shirts – some with images or slogans, spandex shorts, and sneakers."