Teen jailed in Geauga County custody case died in 2023 motorcycle crash
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The gavel sculpture outside the Ohio Supreme Court in Columbus. Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images
One of the two teenage boys jailed by Geauga County Judge Timothy Grendell in a controversial 2020 custody case died in a motorcycle crash last year. He was 18.
Why it matters: Attorneys for the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct argued in an 88-page report filed in the Ohio Supreme Court last week that Grendell's actions contributed to the boy's downfall.
The big picture: The board recommended an 18-month suspension of Grendell's law license for multiple allegations of misconduct involving "impropriety, partiality, lack of integrity and fairness, and abuse … of his position and the prestige of his office."
- Grendell should be suspended without pay from his judicial office during this period, the board said, and should complete eight hours of judicial ethics education before his reinstatement.
Catch up quick: The May 2020 custody case, heard in the first months of COVID-19 lockdowns, alarmed legal experts and garnered national headlines.
- Grendell sent the two brothers, then aged 15 and 13, to jail for refusing to see their estranged father, whom they accused of abuse.
- They were arrested on a Friday evening and not released until the following Monday.
Zoom in: "Research has shown that placing a youth in detention for any amount of time can cause negative impacts, including increased recidivism, substance abuse, and decreased educational attainment, and employability," per the Ohio Supreme Court's material for juvenile justices.
What they're saying: "Tragically, the admonition ... proved to be prophetic," attorneys wrote in their report.
- The older brother's mother, brother and sister all testified to "drastic changes" in his behavior following the detention.
- His mother, Stacy Hartman, testified that Grendell caused "irreversible damage" to her son, who she said became depressed, began harming himself and lost interest in school, though he had previously been a straight-A student.
- Per the report, he was criminally charged with possession of marijuana gummies, dropped out of school and moved to Florida. He died in a motorcycle accident in Pittsburgh in May 2023.
- "The harm caused by [Grendell's] order was … horrific, completely unnecessary and uncalled for," the report says.
The other side: Grendell has said the case was among the most challenging of his career, and that he acted in the best interests of the boys.
- "None of my decisions were appealed or reversed by the appellate court. No attorney for the parties accused me of bias or lack of impartiality, and no one filed to have me disqualified while the case was pending," he said in a statement to Cleveland.com.
- In a statement to News Channel 5, he disputed the board's claims.
What's next: The board's recommendations now go to the Ohio Supreme Court.