Chardon, Ohio — Geauga County Probate and Juvenile Judge Timothy Grendell, whom the Ohio Supreme Court suspended for ordering two boys locked in juvenile detention after they refused to visit their father, was reinstated to the practice of law on June 8 and has returned to the bench to finish his term.
The court’s seven justices joined the reinstatement order, which found Grendell had complied with the November 2025 suspension. News 5 Cleveland reported that he is back on the bench, and Cleveland Scene reported that he will serve out the rest of his term.
What the court found
On Nov. 21, 2025, the Ohio Supreme Court suspended Grendell for 18 months, with 12 months stayed, and ordered him off the bench immediately without pay, News 5 Cleveland reported. The court found he violated judicial conduct rules and a juvenile court rule in a 2020 custody-related case.
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In that case, two brothers, then 13 and 15, refused a visit with their estranged father. Grendell charged them as unruly and ordered them held for three nights at the Portage-Geauga County Juvenile Detention Center, according to News 5 Cleveland. The court found the charges unwarranted and found no basis to detain the boys. It also found he violated a juvenile court rule by barring them from calling their mother while they were held.
he used his constable to orchestrate the filing of trumped-up charges
Justice Patrick DeWine, writing for the Ohio Supreme Court, as reported by the Geauga County Maple Leaf
The court dismissed two other charges, one tied to Grendell’s dispute with the county auditor and one tied to his legislative testimony, finding that punishing that speech would violate the First Amendment, News 5 Cleveland and the Maple Leaf reported. The Board of Professional Conduct had recommended 18 months with six stayed, a harsher sanction than the one the court imposed.
The record since
Grendell asked the court to reconsider in December 2025. The court declined in a Jan. 20, 2026, case announcement, the Maple Leaf reported. His attorney, Stephen Funk, filed for reinstatement on May 21, stating that Grendell had not engaged in further misconduct during the suspension and had complied with the court’s order, according to Cleveland Scene.
Grendell has maintained that he acted within his authority. He told Fox 8’s I-Team that he followed the law, Cleveland Scene reported. His attorney told News 5 Cleveland in November that the judge had no comment on the suspension.
The boys’ mother said after the court rejected his request for reconsideration that he should never again hold a position of authority, according to the Maple Leaf.
Where the system failed
The 2020 detention was an action by the court itself, not by a parent. Two children who declined a visit spent three nights in detention and were cut off from their mother, and it took about five years for the state’s highest court to impose discipline. News 5 Cleveland reported in November 2025 that the case had been the oldest judicial misconduct matter on the court’s docket. Grendell’s term expires Feb. 9, 2027, and age limits bar him from seeking reelection, the station reported.
Judges in juvenile and family court hold broad power over children and parents, often in proceedings with little public scrutiny, and discipline when it comes is slow. Families facing a judge in these courts can find more on how the process works in FAN’s family court guide.
Key facts
- The Ohio Supreme Court suspended Judge Timothy Grendell on Nov. 21, 2025, for 18 months with 12 stayed.
- The court found he had two brothers, then 13 and 15, detained for three nights in 2020 after they refused a visit with their father.
- He also barred the boys from calling their mother while they were detained, the court found.
- The court declined to reconsider the sanction on Jan. 20, 2026.
- All seven justices joined the June 8, 2026, order reinstating his law license.
- He has returned to the bench; his term ends Feb. 9, 2027.
Sources
- Supreme Court of Ohio — Disciplinary Counsel v. Grendell, 2026-Ohio-2119 (order of reinstatement) (2026-06-08)
- News 5 Cleveland — Geauga County Judge Timothy Grendell back on the bench (2026-06-09)
- Cleveland Scene — Geauga County Probate Judge Tim Grendell Back on Bench After Six Month Suspension (2026-06-10)
- News 5 Cleveland — Ohio Supreme Court suspends Geauga County Judge Timothy Grendell for at least 6 months (2025-11-21)
- Geauga County Maple Leaf — Grendell Removed from Bench for 6 Months (2025-11-25)
- Geauga County Maple Leaf — Supreme Court Rejects Grendell Appeal (2026-01-23)
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