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Mary Brigid Sweeney
Mary Brigid Sweeney was a Democratic candidate for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas in Ohio. She was defeated in the primary election on March 15, 2016.[1]
Biography
Sweeney received her B.A. in English from Boston College in 1985 and her J.D. from Cleveland Marshall College of Law in 1989.[2] She runs her own private legal practice, Mary Brigid Sweeney Co. LLC. From 1985 until she started her firm in 2009, she worked as an attorney in private practice with several different firms.[3]
Organizations and affiliations
- Member of the Ohio State Bar since November 6, 1989
- Member of Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Member of Ohio State Bar Association
- Member of Ohio Association for Justice[2]
Campaign themes
2016
Sweeney issued the following statement regarding her bid for office:
| “ | I hope to bring "fair and equal justice" to the bench. The residents of Cuyahoga County have seen the injustices that have taken place in our community in the past few years. It is time to be more transparent and demand that all citizens get fair and equal justice. I believe that there is a time and place for serious sentences for our serious violent offenders. But if elected, I intend on using all the resources to deliver fair and equal justice, such as diversion programs. The new program for veterans suffering from PTSD or the new program for persons suffering from addiction are two great examples. These are compassionate ways to deal with problems in our communities without locking up a person the first time they come in contact with the judicial system.[4] | ” |
| —Mary Brigid Sweeney (2016)[2] | ||
Elections
2016
Ohio held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. A primary election took place on March 15, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was December 16, 2015.
Kelly Ann Gallagher defeated Pablo Castro, Mary Brigid Sweeney, and Michael Astrab in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas General Division Democratic primary election.
| Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas (General Division–Villanueva Seat), Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Kelly Ann Gallagher |
38.27% | 56,537 |
| Pablo Castro | 27.42% | 40,506 |
| Mary Brigid Sweeney | 19.72% | 29,127 |
| Michael Astrab | 14.59% | 21,552 |
| Total Votes | 147,722 | |
| Source: Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, "Election Results," accessed March 16, 2016 | ||
Endorsements
Sweeney received the following rankings, according to Judge4Yourself.com, for an overall rating of 1 out of 4 from the website:[5]
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association: Adequate
- Cuyahoga Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association: Good
- Norman S. Minor Bar Association: Adequate
- Ohio Women's Bar Association: Adequate
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election of judges
The judges of the Ohio County Courts are each elected to six-year terms.[6] The elections for this court are nonpartisan contested elections with partisan primaries. To serve on this court, a judge must be a county resident, licensed in the state and practice law for six years.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed January 19, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Information submitted through Ballotpedia's biographical submission form on February 9, 2016
- ↑ Mary Brigid Sweeney, "Biography," accessed March 8, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Judge4Yourself.com, "March 15, 2016 Primary Election Judicial Candidate Ratings," accessed March 7, 2016
- ↑ The Ohio Judicial System, "Judicial System Structure," accessed August 21, 2014
- ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Ohio; Limited Jurisdiction Courts," archived October 3, 2014
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Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio
State courts:
Ohio Supreme Court • Ohio District Courts of Appeal • Ohio Courts of Common Pleas • Ohio County Courts • Ohio Municipal Courts • Ohio Court of Claims
State resources:
Courts in Ohio • Ohio judicial elections • Judicial selection in Ohio
