CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Ohio Supreme Court has unanimously voted to remove Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Daniel Gaul from the bench due to his misconduct. Gaul, who has served as a judge since 1991, has been suspended from practicing law for one year. The decision comes after an investigation by the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel revealed allegations of derogatory comments made by Gaul to defendants, improper jailing of a defendant, and coercion of a plea deal resulting in an innocent man’s conviction. The court characterized Gaul’s conduct as egregious and found that he had abandoned his role as an unbiased arbiter.
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy stated in the court’s opinion that Gaul’s actions had caused doubts about the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, while also harming multiple litigants.
Gaul, now 70 years old, will not be eligible for re-election due to the state’s age limit for judicial candidates. His suspension concludes a 30-year career marked by controversy, including a previous six-month discipline in 2010 for similar reasons.
The investigation into Gaul’s misconduct dates back to 2018, focusing on incidents that occurred between 2016 and 2017. The allegations have been extensively covered by cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. According to the investigation, Gaul made inappropriate comparisons, such as likening an acquitted defendant to a mass murderer. He also made racially insensitive remarks about a defendant’s background. Additionally, Gaul coerced a defendant into a no contest plea, resulting in a 14-year prison sentence, only for the defendant to later be found not guilty in a new trial.
Justice Pat Fischer dissented in part from Chief Justice Kennedy’s opinion, arguing for a more severe punishment due to Gaul’s repeated misconduct and the harm caused to vulnerable individuals.
This marks the second time in 18 months that the Ohio Supreme Court has removed or investigated a judge at the Justice Center. In October, former Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Pinkey Carr received an indefinite suspension for what the court deemed an unprecedented level of misconduct.
Judge Gaul’s father, former Cuyahoga County Treasurer Frank Gaul, also had a tarnished career, ending in a conviction in 1995 before being cleared of criminal wrongdoing on appeal.
Judge Gaul’s attorney, Monica Sansalone, acknowledged her client’s temperament and requested a suspended one-year sentence considering his long career and reputation in the legal community.
