C&P Newswire

CLEVELAND — Former Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze was sentenced Monday to 60 days in jail and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine after pleading guilty to felony tampering with records. 

The sentence marks a dramatic fall for the longtime judge, who resigned from the bench in December 2025 after criminal charges were filed against her. Celebrezze admitted to falsifying court records involving a case assignment while serving as administrative judge of the Domestic Relations Court. Prosecutors said she filed a journal entry falsely indicating that she had been randomly assigned to a case when she had actually assigned the matter to herself. 

Visiting Judge Mark Wiest handed down the sentence in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, noting that public officials are held to a higher standard because the public’s trust depends on their integrity. According to court reports, Celebrezze faced the possibility of up to three years in prison on the third-degree felony charge. 

The case stems from a broader controversy involving allegations that Celebrezze steered court-related work to longtime friend Mark Dottore, who received appointments and fees in divorce cases handled by her court. Investigations by state and federal authorities eventually led to criminal charges and her resignation from the bench. 

Before sentencing, Celebrezze expressed remorse and accepted responsibility for her actions. “I am genuinely sorry,” she told the court. 

The once-powerful jurist served 16 years on the Domestic Relations Court and was part of the well-known Celebrezze political family, whose members have held prominent public offices in Cleveland and Ohio for generations. 

The sentencing closes one chapter in a scandal that has shaken public confidence in one of Cuyahoga County’s most important courts and serves as a reminder that no public official is above the law.