Swearing-In of Our Two Newest Judges at the 8th District: Welcome Judge Michelle J. Sheehan and Judge Ray Headen!

Welcome Judge Michelle J. Sheehan!

Judge Michelle J. Sheehan’s investiture ceremony was held on January 3, 2019 in the Rotunda of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse where hundreds gathered to witness the event.

Judge Sheehan was elected to the Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018. Prior to being elected to the court of appeals, Judge Sheehan was a shareholder at a large litigation firm where she worked for over 25 years.

Judge Sheehan’s husband, Common Pleas Court Judge Brendan Sheehan, administered the oath of office and her mother, Janet Joseph, held the family Bible.

Among her distinguished speakers, the Honorable Donald C. Nugent, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, stated that Judge Sheehan had “blazed the trail” in many of her endeavors in life, including being the first law clerk to rise to partner at her former firm.

In her remarks, Judge Sheehan thanked her family, friends, and numerous supporters for their hard work. Judge Sheehan pledged to work diligently to serve the citizens of Cuyahoga County as a member of the Eighth District Court of Appeals.

Welcome Judge Ray Headen!

Newest judge to the join the Eighth District Court of Appeals, Judge Ray Headen, inspires students from his former elementary school.

In honor of Black History Month, Judge Ray Headen held his ceremonial swearing-in on February 28, 2019 at his former elementary school, Miles Standish, now known as Michael R. White STEM School in the Glenville neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, before his family, friends, colleagues, and the elementary students.

Judge Headen selected his former elementary school for his investiture to accomplish two goals dear to his heart: educate the community as to the judiciary and show the students that the judicial community cares. Judge Headen’s colleagues at the Eighth District Court of Appeals joined him on the stage during the ceremony in support of these efforts.

Judge Headen was appointed to the Eighth District Court of Appeals to fill the vacancy left by Justice Melody J. Stewart’s election to the Ohio Supreme Court. Prior to joining the court of appeals, Judge Headen worked in private practice as an expert in bond law and municipal finance.

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon Kennedy administered the oath.

Judge Headen addressed the students, inspiring them all to reach for their dreams and believe in themselves. Judge Headen credited his success to his education experiences spanning elementary school through high school and beyond. Notably, Judge Headen’s classmates from elementary and high school attended the swearing-in ceremony, along with his favorite elementary school teacher.