East Cleveland has a new mayor — again.
Ohio’s Eighth District Court of Appeals ousted interim Mayor Sandra Morgan on Thursday, ruling that the job belongs to Council President Lateek Shabazz after the conviction of suspended Mayor Brandon King.
It’s the latest leadership shakeup in a city with a history of recall votes and indictments. A Cuyahoga County Probate Court judge suspended King after prosecutors brought corruption charges against him last year. The court appointed Morgan as interim mayor in February.
After a jury convicted King, Shabazz said the mayor’s office should rightfully pass to him under the line of succession laid out in East Cleveland’s charter. He had himself sworn in as mayor and took his case to appeals court.
Morgan argued that the probate court’s appointment ought to last until a new mayor is elected this fall. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley, who brought the charges against King, took Morgan’s side in the legal dispute.
The appeals court sided with Shabazz in a 2-1 decision on the three-judge panel.
For the majority, Judge Emanuella D. Groves wrote that King ceased to be East Cleveland’s mayor when the jury convicted him. Under the principle of home rule, the suburb’s charter takes precedence in spelling out what happens next, she wrote.
“East Cleveland’s charter controls the selection of mayor, making Lateek Shabazz the rightful mayor of East Cleveland,” Groves wrote.
Judge Lisa B. Forbes agreed with the decision, while Judge Sean C. Gallagher dissented.
Shabazz’s term in office began at noon on Thursday, the court ruled. After the decision was released, Morgan and Shabazz held a transition meeting, according to Shabazz’s attorney, Ken Myers.
“I know that Mayor Shabazz wishes her well. They had a nice meeting today,” he told Signal Cleveland. “Ultimately this was the right decision because the people of East Cleveland have a charter that outlines what to do when a mayor leaves office.”
This is not the end of the contest between Shabazz and Morgan. Both are candidates in this year’s mayoral election.
Morgan told Signal Cleveland in an email that she would abide by the court’s decision and hadn’t decided whether she would appeal.
“I would simply state that I appreciate the opportunity to work on behalf of the citizens of East Cleveland as interim mayor, and to begin to lay the groundwork for a renaissance of our city,” she wrote. “I am running for the office of mayor of East Cleveland and look forward to the race.”
A judge sentenced King to probation rather than prison time last week, ordering him to pay more than $27,800 in fines and a reimbursement.
This story has been updated with a comment from Morgan and Shabazz’s attorney.
