After Governor Mike DeWine tapped Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Joan Synenberg on Thursday to fill another open seat on the same court, the long-serving Republican stay on the bench for at least another two years.
Synenberg will assume the term of Democratic Judge Deborah Turner and will start her new term on January 14th. In order to retain the seat she must win the general election in November 2024. Turner resigned from her position on the bench to run for another one, which allowed Turner to continue serving as a judge for an additional four years.
For the past 16 years, Synenberg has worked for the common pleas court. She narrowly lost her bid for re-election to challenger Brian Mooney during the November 8th general election. Mooney also will assume his seat in January. She has ruled over specialist dockets in addition to her usual criminal and civil workload. She formerly oversaw a mental health developmental disability program and now manages a dual diagnosis docket that treats people with substance use and mental health difficulties. Along with 16 years as a trial lawyer, Judge Synenberg also served two years on the Cleveland Municipal Court bench.
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law awarded Synenberg her legal education. She obtained a bachelor of arts degree from Cleveland State University prior to pursuing a law degree.
Synenberg formally served as a Board Member of the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance and the AIDS Task Force of Greater Cleveland and currently serves as a Board Member of the Northeast Ohio SPCA Pet Shelter.
Throughout her career, Synenberg has successfully handled a number of noteworthy cases.
She presided over the drunk driving trial of former Cleveland City Councilman Zack Reed while serving as a municipal court judge.
She went against a jury’s death penalty recommendation of 18-year-old Douglas Shine who murdered three people when he walked into a Warrensville Heights barbershop in 2015 and then conspired to kill a witness. She instead imposed three sentences of life without parole after finding that Shine who, from the time he was 10 years old, was beaten at home and devoured by the criminal justice system, never had a chance to achieve.
Synenberg also dismissed all charges in a controversial case ending more than 21 years of incarceration primarily on death row for Joe D’Ambrosio after he was convicted of burglary, kidnapping, felony murder, and aggravated murder and sentenced to death by a three-judge panel in 1989 for the killing of Tony Klann.
According to political podcaster Darvio Morrow, Cuyahoga County couldn’t ask for a better-appointed judge.
“Judge Joan Synenberg, a Republican, is one of the best judges this county has ever had,” Morrow said.
Former chairman of the Republican party of Cuyahoga County Rob Frost said “she has a very bright future.”
According to Synenberg, in her judicial appointment, she will make an effort to always contribute to the cause rather than the problem.
“I have been working to better our community long before my time on the bench. As a former social worker and then defense attorney, I understand what’s going on out there. And as a judge, I will always do my best to be a part of the solution, not the problem,” Synenberg said.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Joan Synenberg” by Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Photo “Mike DeWine” by Governor Mike DeWine. Background Photo “Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas” by Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
