Robert C. McClelland

(1) List your judicial experience (courts and years)
I have been a judge on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas since March 28, 2011 presiding over all criminal and civil matters on my docket.

Additionally, I am one of 5 judges that comprise the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities docket. This is a docket where individuals charged with crimes who are diagnosed with a serious mental disease or who are developmentally disabled can be assigned and whose cases are handled by specially trained counsel and probation officers to better assist those with special and unique needs.

In addition, I am a member of the Faculty of the Judicial College of the Ohio Supreme Court and teach both new and established judges in areas of trial skills and procedure.

(2) What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
I was in the private practice of law for over 31 years before becoming a judge. In that time I was trial counsel in a wide variety of types of cases, served as an Assistant Law Director and Prosecutor for the City of Westlake, and served as a private mediator.

The cases in which I was involved were litigated in both state and federal courts. I was trial counsel in over 150 jury trials in many different counties in Ohio. I appeared before many Courts of Appeals in numerous districts in Ohio and before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the federal court system. I also had the opportunity to appear before the Ohio Supreme Court in seven cases.

This wealth of experience in both civil and criminal law has provided me with the information and education to better serve as a judge. There is nothing that can make up for the actual “hands on” experience I have received in 39 years as an attorney.

(3) Why are you running for this particular court seat?
I would like to continue my work serving the community, making sure that all parties in the criminal and civil justice system receive all their guaranteed rights and are treated fairly and equally.

The work with the Mental Health and Developmental Disability docket has been an incredibly rewarding experience and there is a sense of truly helping people with special needs. I would like to continue to help these individuals to receive needed assistance and treatment in hopes of having them no longer be a part of the judicial system.

The legal community has been very supportive of my work on the bench and my treatment of all the litigants and attorneys who have appeared before me. I would like to continue that service.