Court Mourns Loss of Judge James J. Sweeney
The Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court General Division is saddened by the loss of Judge James J. Sweeney. Judge Sweeney died peacefully at his home at the age of 83 after a lengthy illness. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Gloria.
Judge Sweeney served in the Army from 1960 to 1962. He received his undergraduate degree from Cleveland State University in 1970 and went on to earn his law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1973. At one point, Judge Sweeney worked as a U.S. Post Office mail carrier, something of which he was always proud.
Judge Sweeney began his legal career in 1974 as an assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor. In 1979, he became an Assistant Attorney General. Judge Sweeney worked as a lawyer until 1981, when he was elected to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Judge Sweeney served as the Court's Administrative and Presiding Judge from 1993 to 1996.
Judge Sweeney was elected to the 8th District Court of Appeals in 2000 and was re-elected in November of 2006 to a second, six-year term that ended in January 2013. Judge Sweeney retired at the end of that term.
"Judge Sweeney was a friend and mentor to me and many others on the Common Pleas Court Bench," says Administrative and Presiding Judge Brendan J. Sheehan. "As much as he loved being a Judge, family always came first and Judge Sweeney spent his retirement surrounded by his wife, kids, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all."