On a Saturday in April, William Vodrey is at a campaign event on Cleveland鈥檚 East Side with dozens of Democratic party supporters. They're eating grilled food and having drinks, listening to presumptive Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton give a stump speech.
Before winning a seat on the bench in 2020, Vodrey was a magistrate in Cleveland Municipal Court for 19 years, an assistant prosecutor and a Legal Aid attorney. Vodrey described Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judge as the best job he鈥檚 ever had.
鈥淓very day, I have the chance to interpret and uphold the Constitution of the United States and of Ohio, especially in these very troubling times,鈥� said Vodrey. 鈥淚 have a chance to help people reach a just resolution in their disputes.鈥�
On the May 5 primary ballot, there are 13 Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judicial races. Only one judge has drawn a challenger, and he believes it's because the county prosecutor's office is targeting him.
His opponent is James Gallagher, an assistant prosecutor in Cuyahoga County for 11 years.
focuses on Vodrey鈥檚 efficiency as a judge, pointing to an above average number of cases exceeding the time limits for resolution recommended by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Gallagher did not provide any campaign events for 精东影业 to attend, nor did he agree to an interview, nor respond to written questions.
In an endorsement interview with Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, Gallagher described Vodrey as fair but said cases in his court are noticeably slower than others.
鈥淭hat would be the main issue is that efficiency and the expediency in that courtroom,鈥� Gallagher said in his endorsement interview. 鈥淪o just getting those things set and ruled upon would be the very first thing.鈥�
Vodrey became a county judge in 2021 and inherited a docket with one of the largest backlogs in the county. He defended taking time with each case, he said.
鈥淓very single case needs to get the time and attention that it deserves and, systemically, I hope to continue the same approach that I鈥檝e done so far that has already brought my docket down from the docket that I inherited,鈥� said Vodrey.
Vodrey received an 鈥渆xcellent鈥� rating from the four bar associations that participated in Judge4Yourself, and won endorsements from the county Democratic Party and Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer.
He said he suspects his challenger is in the race because Prosecutor Michael O鈥橫alley鈥檚 office is trying to oust Vodrey.
鈥淚 know the county prosecutor's office has been very displeased with some of my decisions, my handling of some cases, most notably the New Era Cleveland case last summer,鈥� said Vodrey.
Activists from the community group New Era Cleveland faced trial for a long list of felonies, including kidnapping, extortion and aggravated menacing.
The trial did not go as planned for prosecutors, with one alleged victim invoking Fifth Amendment rights 鈥� declining to answer questions to avoid self-incrimination. Evidence also suggested the detective in the case was retaliating against New Era members.
Prosecutors sought a mistrial at the Ohio Supreme Court as the jury was beginning deliberations after Vodrey delivered jury instructions they did not like.
鈥淚 feel like we鈥檙e at an impasse,鈥� said Assistant Prosecutor Tasha Forchione during arguments over the instructions that jurors would hear in Vodrey鈥檚 court. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what else to say, other than ask the court to follow the standard jury instructions.鈥�
Vodrey was not persuaded to amend his instructions.
Typically, attorneys from the prosecutor鈥檚 office represent common pleas court judges in cases like these, but because the prosecutor's office was the opposing party, Terry Brennan, an attorney from Baker Hostetler, was assigned by the common pleas court's administrative judge to defend Vodrey.
The Supreme Court declined to halt jury deliberations or declare a mistrial. The jury came back with not guilty verdicts on all counts.
When Brennan went to the prosecutor鈥檚 office for payment, he said he was told the office was not happy with his work and he鈥檇 never be hired again.
鈥淚t may have been tied up in a conversation about getting approval for the bill being paid,鈥� said Brennan. 鈥淚n that same conversation, it was said, you know, 鈥榃e'll approve it, but you're not ever getting work again.鈥�
Brennan declined to identify the person in the prosecutor鈥檚 office he spoke to.
Brennan said his law firm charges far below its normal rates and considers work for judges a service to the county. He added it could have a chilling effect on other attorneys looking for work from the prosecutor.
鈥淲here a person who wanted the work and needed the work would compromise with the facts and the law to appease the prosecutor鈥檚 office,鈥� said Brennan.
The prosecutor鈥檚 office did not respond to questions about Brennan鈥檚 allegation, nor whether Gallagher was motivated or encouraged to run in response to the New Era Cleveland trial.
Gallagher was not involved in the New Era trial, but one of the lead prosecutors in that case, Brandon Piteo, is listed as his campaign鈥檚 treasurer in a filing with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.
Alexandria Bauer, a spokesperson for the prosecutor鈥檚 office, said in response to written questions about Brennan鈥檚 version of events and Vodrey's suspicion that his rulings prompted a challenge: 鈥淚 decline to comment on your nonsensical questions.鈥�
