Michael Astrab
Michael Astrab was a judge for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas General Division in Cleveland, Ohio. He was elected to the court in November of 2010 to a full six-year term, which commenced on January 11, 2011, and expired on January 10, 2017.[1]
Astrab ran for re-election to the court in 2016, but he sought a different seat on the bench. Instead of filing to run for a new term in his current seat, Astrab filed for the seat held by José A. Villanueva, who did not file for re-election. Astrab, however, was defeated in the primary election on March 15, 2016.[2]
Biography
Astrab received his undergraduate degree from Miami University in 1993 and his J.D. from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1997.[3]
After his admission to the Ohio Bar in 1997, Astrab worked as a sole practitioner with a focus in criminal defense and juvenile law. He later became a guardian ad litem for the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, and from 2006 until his election to the bench, he worked as a financial advisor for a Wall Street investment firm.[4]
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
Astrab received the following rankings, according to Judge4Yourself.com:[5]
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association: Good
- Cuyahoga Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association: Good
- Norman S. Minor Bar Association: Good
- Ohio Women's Bar Association: Good
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]
2010
See also: Ohio Court of Common Pleas judicial elections, 2010 (A-H) Astrab ran unopposed in the Republican primary. In the general election, he defeated Bridget M. McCafferty, winning 52.99 percent of the vote.[8][9]
Noteworthy cases
Gang leader sentenced to life in prison (2015)
Judge Michael Astrab sentenced Julius Webster, a leader of the Heartless Felons gang, to life in prison on March 10, 2015. In February 2015, a jury convicted Webster for the 2013 murder of Curtis Marks Jr., two counts of aggravated robbery and attempted tampering with evidence. Additionally, he was convicted of seven gang-related charges which were heard by Judge Astrab in a separate proceeding. After an hour-long hearing on March 10, Webster was given a life term, with the first possibility of parole in 99 years.[10][11]
Over the course of Webster's trial, William Hammons, another member of the Heartless Felons, was accused of sending letters to Judge Astrab threatening the lives of him and his family. He was convicted of intimidation, retaliation and three counts of aggravated menacing on February 9. Back in 2013, Judge Astrab sentenced Hammons to life in prison without parole plus 100 years for the rape and murder of a 60-year-old woman.[12]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Michael Astrab Cleveland Ohio judge. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio
- Ohio Courts of Common Pleas
- Judicial selection in Ohio
- Local trial court judicial elections, 2016
External links
- Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook page
- The Plain Dealer, "Lawyers' website rates judges in 9 contested Cuyahoga County races," October 12, 2010
- WKYC.com, "Judge sentences Chesterland attorney to 8 years in prison," May 25, 2011
Footnotes
- ↑ Ohio Courts, "2010 Unofficial General Election Results," November 3, 2010
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, "Candidate List," accessed January 19, 2016
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, "Judge Michael Astrab," accessed June 1, 2015
- ↑ Astrab4Judge campaign website, "About"
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, "Unofficial 2010 General Election Results," November 3, 2010
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, "May 4 Election Results," May 5, 2010
- ↑ Cleveland.com, "Gang leader convicted of slaying, robbery; jury finds Heartless Felon guilty of 2013 crime wave," February 9, 2015
- ↑ Cleveland.com, "Heartless Felons leader Julius Webster sentenced to life in prison," March 10, 2015
- ↑ Cleveland.com, "Judge threatened in Heartless Felons case; prosecutor says gang member sought to intimidate jurist and family," February 9, 2015
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
