I am writing to thank The Plain Dealer for honoring relevant experience when it endorsed appointed Judge Timothy W. Clary to keep his seat in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Judge Clary had worked in the courthouse long before he took the bench. He has prosecuted, defended, and now presided over thousands of felony criminal and civil cases within the scope of the Common Pleas Court’s General Division. He has been inside the jail where defendants reside in pretrial detention and understands what that looks like. While accolades are meaningful in some contexts, as a judge, they can impair your discretion.
The Plain Dealer’s endorsement of Clary recognizes his ability to maintain an impartial role in the community as shown by his current record and broad experience. As someone who works in the Justice Center, I admire Judge Clary’s ability to make everyone feel welcome and heard while upholding the law in an incisive and ethical manner that truly embodies what I hope all of us want to see for our justice system, regardless of party affiliation. Because of this, I am voting to keep Judge Timothy Clary on the bench as endorsed by this paper.
Keara Mullen,
Cleveland Heights
