Richard DeWine

Facing 100 years in prison, Al Zubair brothers sabotaged their own defense with secret recordings and ChatGPT

CLEVELAND, OH — Local followers of the federal criminal trial of convicted ex-East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King’s chief of staff, Michael Leon Smedley, have been wondering why it’s taken more than 70 days after his February 20, 2025 superseding indictment to be heard.  His trial with the Al Zubair brothers was originally scheduled for April 14, 2025.  The answer for the delay is found in a docket that details the stall tactics being used by his sibling co-defendants. The two Cleveland brothers, Zubair Mehmet Abdur Razzaq Al Zubair and Muzzammil Muhammad Al Zubair, are each staring at a maximum prison…

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There are 17 empty Republican slots for Cuyahoga County common pleas judgeships 17 civil rights-minded American attorneys could have sought

CLEVELAND, OH – I was stunned when I voted for myself for Congress in the 11th Congressional District and saw that 17 Republican attorneys had not filed for one of 17 court of common pleas judgeships for this year’s primary election.  It means 17 Democrats on the other side of the ballot will have no Republican opponent in November.  The filing deadline for Independent candidacies is May 2. The salary of a court of common pleas judge is $155,000 anually.  A municipal court judge earns $146,000.  Terms are six years.  Democratic Cuyahoga County Prosecuting Attorney Michael O’Malley, again, has no…

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