A packed house, six judicial candidates, and a movement 15 years in the making
SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — On the evening of September 17, 2026, something remarkable happened inside the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland: 426 Cuyahoga County residents, far surpassing our turnout goal, filled the sanctuary to do something most people never get the chance to do. They looked six judicial candidates in the eye and asked them, directly, how they would decide who sits in jail while awaiting trial, and who gets to go home.
It was democracy in its most tangible form, and it was Greater Cleveland Congregations at its best.
Why This Mattered
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judges hold extraordinary power, the power to set bond, to determine pretrial conditions, and ultimately to decide whether someone accused of a crime remains behind bars for weeks or months before ever being convicted of anything. GCC’s pretrial justice research has shown a hard truth: whether someone stays in jail often has less to do with the danger they pose and more to do with whether they can afford to pay.
Six candidates for Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court came to answer for that system and to share how they’d change it: Morgan Raye Caruso, Daryl T. Dennie, Judge Antonio Nicholson, Fallon Radigan, Diane P. Russell, and Jacob Westfall.
The stakes go beyond one election night. Cuyahoga County is in the middle of high-stakes decisions about the funding, design, and operation of a new county jail — decisions that will shape pretrial justice in our community for a generation. GCC made sure candidates understood that residents are watching, and that voters are paying attention this November.
Commonsense Solutions, Community-Tested
GCC’s Pretrial Justice Team didn’t walk in with vague concerns, they walked in with solutions, built from years of research, meetings with public officials, and direct engagement with the justice system. The asks were clear: greater consistency in judicial decision-making, expanded use of personal bonds for lower-level cases, stronger pretrial services, earlier assignment of judges, and an end to unnecessary court delays.
A powerful testimony was given my a man directly impacted by complexities and injustices of the pretrial justice system.
GCC Pretrial Action Team Co-Chair Sharnell Woods, a member of Antioch Baptist Church, put it simply: these are practices that would “improve pretrial justice and save tax dollars.” Pretrial team Co-Chair Jim Slagle outlined the asks and the why behind it.
And this isn’t just policy on paper, it’s already changing lives. Laurie Albright, GCC Core Team Chair at UUCC and a volunteer Navigator with the UUCC Pretrial program, shared what she’s witnessed firsthand: a steady, supportive presence can make all the difference for someone navigating one of the most confusing and difficult moments of their life — and can help ensure they show up to court as required. Judges who support programs like this, she said, are exactly what Cuyahoga County needs.
Gratitude Runs Deep
None of this happens by accident. This action was the product of years of patient organizing by our Pretrial Justice Team, whose research, relationship-building, and persistence brought this issue, and these candidates, into one room.
And it happens because you show up. More than 30 GCC institutions and community partners turned out that night. That is the power of organized people, and it is the story of Greater Cleveland Congregations: not one voice, but hundreds, speaking together.
Watch the Full Action
If you missed the action, you can watch it. The full video of the September 17 Pretrial Justice Action is now live on GCC’s YouTube channel. Hear directly from the candidates.
