Judge Michael P. Shaughnessy Joins MHDD Court
Cleveland: Judge Michael P. Shaughnessy will join the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court’s Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MHDD) Docket on January 1. Judge Shaughnessy was appointed to the docket by Administrative and Presiding Judge John J. Russo.
Judge Shaughnessy will replace Judge Cassandra Collier-Williams, who was recently appointed to the newly restored Commercial Docket.
“Successfully addressing the mental health issues of people who end up in the criminal justice system is critical to their rehabilitation and continued well-being,” says Judge Shaughnessy. “I look forward to serving with my colleagues on the MHDD docket,”
Judge Shaughnessy joined the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court bench in January of 2017. He received his law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and is a graduate of Cleveland State University. Judge Shaughnessy previously served as an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve School of Law.
The MHDD docket was established in 2003 as a response to the increasing number of defendants with serious mental illnesses entering the criminal justice system. The MHDD Court is funded by the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, and supported by local resources through the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board and the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (CCBDD).
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and the MHDD judges are committed to managing challenging defendants by effectively utilizing scarce resources that can improve long term success in treatment and reduce recidivism. Further, the Court is committed to identifying additional resources that will continue to enhance the docket’s mission
The MHDD docket also includes Chairperson Judge Hollie L. Gallagher, Judge Deena R. Calabrese and Judge Robert C. McClelland. Judge Shannon M. Gallagher will also join the docket on January 1, replacing Judge Michael P. Donnelly.