Sara Elizabeth Lioi | |
|---|---|
 Lioi in 2008 | |
| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio | |
| Assumed office June 5, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Patricia Anne Gaughan |
| Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court | |
| Assumed office May 19, 2023 | |
| Appointed by | John Roberts |
| Preceded by | Rudolph Contreras |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio | |
| Assumed office March 14, 2007 | |
| Appointed by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Lesley B. Wells |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 17, 1960[1] Canton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Education | Bowling Green State University (BA) Ohio State University College of Law (JD) |
Sara Elizabeth Lioi (born December 17, 1960) is the Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, while also serving as a judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
Early life and education
Born in Canton, Ohio, Lioi graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 and later from Ohio State University College of Law with a Juris Doctor in 1987.
Career
Following law school graduation, Lioi joined the law firm of Day, Ketterer, Raley, Wright & Rybolt, Ltd. in the fall of 1987 and was promoted to partner in that firm in December 1993. In November 1997, during his second term as governor, George Voinovich appointed Lioi as a judge in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas, Central Division. She was elected to a four-year term in November 1998 and then re-elected for a six-year term in November 2002.[2]
Federal judicial service
On the recommendation of Senators George Voinovich and Mike DeWine,[2] Lioi was nominated to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio by President George W. Bush on January 9, 2007, to a seat vacated by Lesley B. Wells as Wells took senior status. Lioi was confirmed by the Senate on March 8, 2007 and received her commission on March 14, 2007.[3] She was sworn in as chief judge on June 5, 2023.[4][5]
Lioi oversaw the prosecution of Jimmy Dimora and others in the Cuyahoga County corruption case, sentencing Dimora to 28 years.[6] The case was affirmed on appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the Supreme Court declined to hear Dimora's further appeal.[7]
References
- ↑ "CONFIRMATION HEARINGS ON FEDERAL APPOINTMENTS" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. September 6, 2006. p. 122. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- 1 2 "Sen. Voinovich applauds senate confirmation of Lioi for Northern District judge March 8, 2007". Archived from the original on March 28, 2007.
- ↑ Sara Elizabeth Lioi at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ↑ "U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi Sworn In as Chief Judge" (Press release). United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
- ↑ Ferrise, Adam (June 5, 2023). "Federal courts in northern Ohio get new chief judge". cleveland.com. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ↑ WKYC Staff (31 July 2012). "Dimora lawyer: '28 years is a death sentence'". WKYC. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ↑ McCarty, James. "U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear Jimmy Dimora's request for a new trial on racketeering, corruption convictions". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
Sources
- Sara Elizabeth Lioi at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.