The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct has recommended that Timothy Grendell, the probate and juvenile court judge in Geauga County, be suspended from the bench for one year. This recommendation, made on Friday, was submitted to the Ohio Supreme Court, which will ultimately decide Grendell’s fate after reviewing arguments and briefs.
The board suggested an 18-month suspension of Grendell’s law license, with the potential for a six-month reduction if he avoids further misconduct during that time.
In response, Grendell issued a statement indicating his intention to challenge the board’s decision, expressing confidence in a more favorable outcome.
Grendell has faced significant criticism since 2020, when he jailed two teenage boys, aged 13 and 15, who refused to visit their estranged father as part of an ongoing custody dispute during the COVID-19 pandemic. The boys, who had accused their father of abuse, were placed in juvenile detention over a weekend.
During a disciplinary hearing earlier this year, state disciplinary counsel Joseph Caligiuri condemned Grendell’s decision, questioning how the judge’s actions could be in the best interest of the children. “He jailed two boys for failing to visit their father during a global pandemic,” Caligiuri said.
Grendell defended his actions, stating that his decisions were based on the recommendations of a court-appointed mental health expert, who warned that severing ties with their father could result in lasting psychological harm. Grendell further noted that his rulings were never appealed or reversed, and no attorneys involved in the case raised concerns about his impartiality.
In addition to the 2020 case, Grendell also faces accusations of misconduct in a 2021 incident involving a mother and her child. The mother was told she needed Grendell’s permission before having her son tested for COVID-19. After the boy experienced shortness of breath and was taken to Akron Children’s Hospital, where he was tested for the virus, Grendell reportedly dispatched a constable to the hospital to remove the child. Grendell referred to the pandemic as a “panic-a-demic” and suggested the mother was using the virus to interfere with visitation arrangements.
Grendell’s legal team argues that any potential errors in his rulings should be addressed through appellate courts, not disciplinary actions. They maintain that Grendell acted in good faith and with the intention of protecting the children involved in his cases.
Grendell, who previously served in both the Ohio House and Senate, was first appointed to the Geauga County bench in 2011 by then-Governor John Kasich. His current term began in February 2021. Should the Ohio Supreme Court enforce the recommended suspension, Grendell could return to his position following the one-year penalty.