Court upholds judge’s firing of staff attorney

10/12/2013

A federal appeals court ruled this week that Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Stacy Cook was within her rights to fire a staff attorney who had been assigned to her court.

The 6th Circuit U.S Court of Appeals upheld a 2012 decision by U.S. District Court Judge James Carr to dismiss claims against the judge by Joanne Horen, who claimed she was dismissed in 2009 after taking time off under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. The appeals court found the judge and her attorney had a working relationship exempt from the federal law under a personal staff exception.