Cleveland judge must pass on her dad’s old case

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court says a judge in Cleveland must step aside from hearing a divorce case formerly handled by her father, also a judge.

Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze of Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court could be required to disqualify herself from hundreds of other cases she also inherited when she replaced her retiring father on the bench.

Chief Justice Thomas Moyer says judicial rules require judges to remove themselves from cases in which a close relative also has acted as a judge because of the potential for bias. The Supreme Court ruling came Tuesday.

Judge Celebrezze had told the state’s highest court that having her withdraw from all cases handled by her father would harm justice and court efficiency.