Judge Dick Ambrose Retires
After a distinguished 17 years on the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Bench, Judge Dick Ambrose is hanging up his robe. Judge Ambrose will retire on December 31.
Being a Judge was Dick Ambrose’s third career. Before he was appointed to the Bench in June of 2004, Judge Ambrose spent 17 years as an attorney in private practice. Before becoming a lawyer, Dick Ambrose spent ten years as a Cleveland Browns linebacker.
Although his final term in office has not yet expired, Judge Ambrose opted to retire on his own terms, something he says injuries did not allow him to do in the NFL. After his appointment to the Bench, Judge Ambrose was elected in 2006, 2010, and 2016.
Judge Ambrose has been active in the community, assisting with programs such as Fugitive Safe Surrender, speaking to church and community groups about Ohio's record sealing law and the collateral consequences of criminal convictions. Judge Ambrose is a member of the Cuyahoga County Corrections Planning Board, the Judicial Advisory Board for the McDonnell Center – a community-based corrections facility, and was the chair of the Court's Probation Committee. Judge Ambrose also presided over the trial of serial killer Anthony Sowell in 2011.
"(This) was a great place to be, a great place to work, and great people here," says Judge Ambrose. "It's been my pleasure and I certainly have enjoyed every moment of it.”
“I can’t say enough about the work Dick Ambrose has done as a Judge,” says Administrative and Presiding Judge Brendan J. Sheehan. “Not only was he a mentor to me when I became a Judge, but he has been a valued friend and colleague. He may have been a Cleveland Brown, but Dick Ambrose did his best work in serving the citizens of Cuyahoga County.”
Judge Ambrose sat for an interview to discuss his time on the Court, and his journey from the NFL to the law.
It is also available in audio form on our Court’s “On The Record” podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/99872/9776502-judge-dick-ambrose?t=0
Mark R. Majer, of Gates Mills, has been appointed by Governor Mike DeWine to take over for Judge Ambrose, and will begin on Jan. 3, 2022.
Majer has served as magistrate at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court since 2020 and served previously in this role from 1999-2005. Additionally, he was chief legal counsel for the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court for five years. He also worked as prosecutor for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office for six years.