CLEVELAND — A little over a month after her arraignment, former Cuyahoga County Judge Leslie Celebrezze has now taken a plea deal, preventing the case from going to trial.
On Wednesday, Celebrezze pleaded guilty to tampering with records, a third-degree felony. She faces nine to 36 months behind bars and community control for up to five years. She also faces a fine of up to $10,000.
Watch her full court appearance:
According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, on Jan. 19, 2023, Celebrezze falsely claimed in a journal entry that she had been randomly assigned to a case. It was later determined that she manually assigned herself.
"Today's plea illustrates that nobody is above the law. Integrity on the bench is essential. Anything less undermines the very foundation of our courts," said Lexi Bauer, communications manager for the prosecutor's office.
Celebrezze was arraigned late last year and suspended from the bench.
WATCH:
RELATED: Cuyahoga County Judge Leslie Celebrezze pleads not guilty to tampering with evidence charge
This comes after years of reporting from The Marshall Project - Cleveland regarding allegations of misconduct.
RELATED: Judge Celebrezze faces misconduct claims over appointing lucrative divorce cases to friend
Last year, a federal grand jury subpoena delivered to the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court showed that federal investigators were investigating Celebrezze and her ties to a court-appointed receiver.
WATCH:
RELATED: FBI subpoena targets how Cuyahoga County Judge Leslie Celebrezze steered work to friend
She will be sentenced at a later date after the court conducts a pre-sentence investigation.
