This area provides a link to each Magistrate's background and contact information. 

Magistrates are non-elected judicial officers.  They are appointed by judges.  Magistrates conduct proceedings just as a judge would, but certain decisions of the magistrate are not final or effective until they are reviewed and adopted by a judge.

Magistrates issue orders and decisions.  A magistrate's order is effective immediately.  If a party wants the judge to review the order to have it changed, then the party must file a request to that effect.  However, the order will still remain in effect while the request is pending unless the judge or magistrate issues a stay.   An order is usually issued for matters that are not dispositive of the entire case.  Orders to continue a case, pretrial orders, orders regarding discovery, etc. are examples of orders issued by magistrates that take immediate effect.

A magistrate’s decision is issued when substantive issues are being addressed.  A magistrate would also issue a decision when deciding the motion of a party for summary judgment, or for judgment on the pleadings, for example.  Similarly, a magistrate would issue a decision after conducting a hearing.

All of the magistrates of Cleveland Municipal Court are members of the Ohio Association of Magistrates.