Judge Joseph J. Nahra
The Court is saddened by the loss of former Judge Joseph J. Nahra. Judge Nahra passed away on Sunday, February 27, at the age of 94.
Born in 1927, Judge Nahra served in the U.S. Army. He then received his Bachelor's Degree at Case Western Reserve University in 1949 and his Juris Doctor from Harvard University in 1952. Judge Nahra served on our Bench from 1969 to 1977, and then served 13 years as a probate judge. Judge Nahra joined the 8th District Court of Appeals in 1982 and served there for more than 17 years.
“Judge Nahra was a true public servant and handled some of the most important and difficult cases Cuyahoga County has seen,” says Administrative and Presiding Judge Brendan J. Sheehan. Among those cases was the 1977 trial of Owen and Martin Kilbane, two brothers convicted of orchestrating the murder of a former Euclid judge's wife. The brothers were last denied parole in 2018.
“Even in his later years, Judge Nahra was someone we could turn to for advice and guidance,” added Judge Sheehan. “Our thoughts are with his family, especially Barbara, his wife of more than 60 years.”