Ohio Supreme Court Removes Cleveland Municipal Judge For Misconduct

The Ohio Supreme Court removed Judge Pinkey S. Carr, a Cleveland municipal judge, on Tuesday from the bench. This was because of misconduct that included lies, disrespectful treatment, falsifying court documents, and wearing tank tops and spandex shorts in court. Carr was indefinitely suspended and has agreed to undergo evaluations for her mental and physical health.

The court stated that Carr's table was littered with junk, dolls, cups, and novelty items, and her legal counsel characterized it as resembling a flea market. Carr wore tank tops, T-shirts, spandex shorts, and sneakers to the court. Also, she engaged in conversations with staff and defendants about a television show called “P-Valley” about a fictional Mississippi strip club.

Carr joked about receiving kickbacks for lenient sentences if defendants offered her food, beverages, carpeting, or storage space. She called her bailiff "Miss Puddin from P-Valley", The Columbus Dispatch reported.

Carr was removed from her bench where she has served for more than a decade. She has more than 100 incidents of misconduct dating back several years. In a 5-2 ruling, the justices stated that Carr's “unprecedented” demeanor of more than 100 counts of misconduct, including sentencing someone to jail for rolling their eyes, displayed her “abuse” of power. The justices also disregarded the former judge’s reasons behind her actions, News5 Cleveland reported.

ABC News reported that according to the board, Carr did not reschedule the cases she handled when the municipal court was closed at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. She also issued subpoenas for defendants who didn't show up to court and waived court fees and penalties for defendants who appeared.

Rich Koblentz, Carr's lawyer, said that they respect the court, but they're not pleased about the Ohio Supreme Court's decision. According to him, they feel the sanctions were too harsh, as an indefinite suspension is one of the harsher sentences that the Ohio Supreme Court could deliver.

Meanwhile, according to the court's opinion, Carr has been indefinitely discontinued from practicing law in Ohio and suspended from judicial office without pay. In order to remove the suspension and be reinstated, the court said Carr will have to present a report from a competent healthcare professional declaring that she is "able to return to the competent, ethical and professional practice of law."