(Cleveland) – For the eighth year in a row, the judges of the Cleveland Municipal Court (www.cmcoh.org) have elected the Honorable Ronald B. Adrine to the position of Administrative and Presiding Judge, a position that makes him responsible for overseeing the business and direction of the court. 

Under Judge Adrine’s leadership, the court has created or continued a number of programs that offer solutions to many of the tougher problems it faces. Four of those programs, the Greater Cleveland Drug Court; the Veterans Treatment Docket; the Mental Health Docket and the Human Trafficking Docket are now certified as specialized dockets by the Supreme Court of Ohio.

“The court’s goal continues to be to assist those who suffer the negative of getting caught up in the justice system into a positive life-changing experience,” said Judge Adrine, who is currently actively seeking reforms to the way monetary sanctions are employed by the bench.  

“Based on the experience of other jurisdictions across the country, addressing these issues should result in reducing the unnecessary incarceration of lower income people who are charged with non-violent offenses simply because they are poor.  It may also result in more accurately identifying the level of each individual’s ability to pay the penalties we assess. Currently, we are essentially criminalizing poverty and that’s not what we should be about,” said Judge Adrine.

The Cleveland Municipal Court has jurisdiction in misdemeanor cases where the maximum sentence does not exceed one year in jail and/or a fine of not more than $1,000, the initial appearances of those charged with felony offenses committed within its jurisdiction, small claims not exceeding $3,000 and civil disputes that can range as high as $15,000.

A life-long resident of Cleveland, Judge Adrine was elected to the Cleveland Municipal Court in 1981 and was re-elected five times without opposition.  He was the primary proponent of the recently opened Cuyahoga County Family Justice Center.

Judge Adrine was honored as a Distinguished Alumni of both Cleveland State University and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.  In 2000, he was awarded the Ohio Bar Medal by the Ohio State Bar Association, its highest honor, in recognition of his contributions to the profession and the community.