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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Joseph D. Russo died Saturday night. He was 59 years old.
His death was confirmed on Sunday by Judge Brendan Sheehan, administrative judge and presiding judge. Sheehan said Russo passed away suddenly and was unsure if Russo was suffering from any illness at the time of his death.
Judge Russo joined the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court in January 2001, according to a court press release.
He graduated from St. Joseph High School and Case Western Reserve University, and received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1991.
“Joe Russo has been my colleague on the bench for 12 years, and his loss will be felt by the legal community and the citizens of Cuyahoga County,” Sheehan said in the press release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Judge Russo.”
Russo served on the Cuyahoga County Common Appeal Courts Business Registry, a specialized registry that began in 2013 to handle complex business disputes, according to a press release from the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.
“Within the court, Judge Russo was known to regularly reach out to new judges, offering them support and encouragement as they joined the bench,” the CMBA statement said. “We offer our sincere condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of Judge Russo during this time of mourning.”
The Ohio Supreme Court will appoint a guest judge to preside over Judge Russo’s role until a replacement is appointed by Ohio Governor Michael DeWine.
Russo’s death comes just days after the death of longtime Cuyahoga Common Pleas County judge Nancy McDonnell. McDonnell died Tuesday at 62 after struggling with health issues for some time.
“As a court family, our grief is doubled right now,” Sheehan said.
Learn more at cleveland.com:
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