Court News

Judge Hollie L. Gallagher is stepping down from her role as Chair of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MHDD) Docket, as well as from an active Judge on the MHDD Docket.  Judge Gallagher has been on the MHDD docket since 2008 and it’s Chair since succeeding Judge Jose Villanueva in 2016.

Judge Shannon M. Gallagher is succeeding Judge Gallagher as MHDD chair, a position the two Judges have shared since early 2022.

“Everybody is part of this (MHDD),” says Judge Hollie Gallagher. “This isn’t about me. This is about doing what is better, hopefully, for the people who come on our dockets. I so much appreciate everything that everybody has done to support the progress of the docket and where we’ve come from.”

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).

“I am honored to be an MHDD Judge,” says Judge Shannon Gallagher. “Judge Hollie has been my mentor and working together as co-chairs has taught me so much. I became a Judge because I saw it as a chance to serve the community, and working one-on-one with defendants who’ve been recommended to the MHDD docket is truly special.”

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and the MHDD judges are committed to managing challenging defendants by effectively and efficiently utilizing scarce resources that can improve long-term connection/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 Judge Deena R. Calabrese, Judge Emily Hagan, and Judge Michael P. Shaughnessy. A replacement for Judge Hollie Gallagher has not yet been named.