Semary’s lawsuit, filed in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas and later reinstated by a unanimous Court of Appeals panel, claimed that Celebrezze demoted her, cut her pay, and forced her to resign after she released open-court records to a *Marshall Project* reporter. Those records were central to a June 2023 exposé that raised questions about Celebrezze’s conduct and her pattern of steering lucrative receivership appointments to Dottore—a private businessman with whom she maintained what disciplinary authorities later called an “emotional and very possibly romantic relationship.”
Key revelations from litigation
Evidence surfaced during discovery that substantiated Semary’s allegations and revealed the depth of the relationship Celebrezze had attempted to conceal. In a sworn deposition and affidavit, Lisa Moran Dottore, ex-wife of Mark Dottore, recounted discovering a text message from Celebrezze to her then-husband reading, “You need to make love to me this week. I feel safe when I am in your arms.” She also produced bank records showing Dottore’s hotel charges near Celebrezze’s home, as well as descriptions of frequent late-night texting between them.
The disciplinary case against Celebrezze later uncovered overlapping evidence: surveillance footage of the judge kissing Dottore, testimony from two fellow judges who said she professed love for him, and admissions from Celebrezze that she spent hours alone in his home. The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct subsequently recommended that the state Supreme Court suspend Celebrezze for two years—one year stayed—for dishonesty, self-dealing, and manipulation of court procedures to favor Dottore’s financial interests.
Pattern of deceit and disciplinary fallout
The Board found that Celebrezze falsified court entries, misled investigators, and lied to fellow judges, conduct that overlapped with elements of potential criminal offenses under Ohio law, including falsification and tampering with public records. Despite eventually stipulating to many of these facts in her disciplinary proceedings, she had previously provided false denials in discovery responses during Semary’s case—statements that appellate judges later found troubling.
Celebrezze invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination before the disciplinary board and remains under federal investigation by the FBI, which has interviewed Semary twice and issued subpoenas to the Domestic Relations Court.
A vindication for a whistleblower
Subodh Chandra, Semary’s lead attorney, said the settlement represents accountability for retaliation against a public servant who acted within her legal duty.
“This settlement vindicates Georgia Semary, a dedicated public servant who was punished simply for doing her job in providing open-court records,” Chandra said. “Judge Celebrezze’s efforts to conceal her relationship with Mark Dottore led to an abuse of power that cost a taxpayer-funded employee her livelihood.”
Chandra emphasized that while monetary relief cannot undo the professional and emotional harm Semary endured, the resolution “sends a clear message that no public official is above the law.”
Case background and aftermath
The case, *Georgeanna M. Semary v. Leslie Ann Celebrezze, et al.*, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, Case No. CV-23984974, asserted claims under Ohio’s civil-liability statute for criminal acts (R.C. 2307.60), including retaliation, falsification, dereliction of duty, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
An initial visiting judge dismissed the case, but the Eighth District Court of Appeals unanimously reversed, restoring Semary’s lawsuit and expressing skepticism about Celebrezze’s defenses. The trial judge later recused himself following the appellate decision.
Semary was represented by attorneys Subodh Chandra, Donald P. Screen, and Emily Bohatch of The Chandra Law Firm.
The $400,000 settlement closes one chapter in a years-long scandal that continues to ripple through the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court—and may yet have federal consequences for one of its most prominent judges.