CHARDON, Ohio — The Ohio Supreme Court suspended Geauga County Juvenile and Probate Judge Timothy Grendell for at least six months on Friday.
The court found Grendell violated judicial conduct rules when he locked up two teenage brothers in a juvenile detention center over a custody dispute in 2020.
The court dismissed two other charges against Grendell.
The judge was suspended for 18 months with 12 months stayed. He was ordered to immediately leave the bench. His suspension is without pay.
The court's decision comes just 10 days after News 5 Investigator Sarah Buduson's report revealed Grendell's case was the oldest judicial professional misconduct case on the court's docket.
It had been more than a year since the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct recommended that Geauga County Judge Timothy Grendell be suspended for violating the judicial code of misconduct.
Watch that report:
Brothers detained over custody dispute
The backbone of the disciplinary case against Grendell stemmed from his decision to order Conner and Carson Glasier, then 13 and 15, to spend three nights in solitary confinement at the Portage-Geauga County Juvenile Detention Center during the pandemic.
The judge ordered them to be locked up and charged them as unruly after the brothers refused a visit with their estranged father.
The court found the unruly charges were unwarranted and there was no basis to detain them.
The court also found Grendell violated a juvenile court rule when he banned them from calling their mother, Stacy Hartman, while they were in detention.
Hartman remains frustrated that the court took so long to issue its ruling and believes Grendell should have faced harsher punishment.
She sent News 5 the following statement:
"Today, after almost five years of waiting for justice to be served, the Supreme Court Of Ohio disciplined a rogue judge whose misconduct has permanently damaged numerous families and children. My family in particular has been irreparably impacted by the malfeasant behavior of Timothy J. Grendell. His failure to adhere to the judicial code of conduct he swore to uphold has led us to this point. My family has suffered horribly throughout this process. The Ohio Disciplinary Council has clearly discovered, categorized, outlined, and proved the misconduct and blatant disregard of the law by Judge Grendell in my case. The evidence before the Supreme Court was overwhelming. Despite these findings, this judge has remained defiant, and arrogant. The punishment for this man is not nearly enough in comparison to the damage, pain, and suffering he has caused. The Ohio Supreme Court, an unbiased panel of this man's peers, has spoken. I encourage any and all families whom this judge has unjustly targeted to step forward and now have your voice heard. "
Watch more about the case:
RELATED: Two teen brothers refused to see their dad. An Ohio judge locked them up during a pandemic
Dismissed counts
Geauga County Auditor Chuck Walder expressed relief that the case is finally over, but was also disappointed by the court's ruling.
"I had very high hopes for a very different outcome," Walder said.
"I was brought up that judges are held to a higher standard. It appears from the decision that may not be a good rule of thumb," he said.
The court dismissed a charge related to Walder's ongoing dispute with Grendell over billing and oversight as well as a charge related to Grendell's testimony in support of legislation about COVID-19 statistics, which was sponsored by his wife, former Ohio lawmaker Diane Grendell.
The court concluded that punishing Grendell for his speech at a Geauga County Tea Party meeting and his legislative testimony would violate his First Amendment rights.
However, the court did not endorse legislative testimony by judges and warned them to "tread with caution."
Grendell's response
News 5 reached out Grendell's attorney on Friday. He said the judge has no comment on the court's decision.
If Grendell fails to abide by the suspension and commits further misconduct, he will have to serve the entire 18-month suspension term.
Otherwise, if he remains in good standing, Grendell can return to the bench in May.
He would then serve out the last months of his term, which expires Feb. 9, 2027.
At 72, he cannot run for reelection due to age restrictions.
