Judge Dropped Over Bailiff’s Apparent Role in Pretrial Work (1)

An Ohio common pleas judge was disqualified from a criminal case when it appeared her bailiff handled certain pre-trial matters without customary oversight.

An objective observer would have “serious doubts” about Judge Shirley Strickland Saffold’s “impartiality and the integrity of the proceedings,” the Ohio Supreme Court said.

The case was decided in December 2020 but not published by the court until Dec. 24, 2021.

The record shows that without any involvement from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas judge, the bailiff apparently conducted the first two pretrial conferences, scheduled the second and third ones, ordered the defendant to appear ...