J.J. Costello at a glance
- Current role
- Municipal Court Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Ohio · State
- Judicial service
- Active
J.J. Costello
Municipal Court Judge · Cleveland Heights Municipal Court
Biography
Professional career
- Judge J.J. Costello is the elected municipal court judge for Cleveland Heights, Ohio, serving since January 2018 and re‐elected in 2023 for a second six‐year term
Education
- A lifelong Cleveland Heights resident, Costello obtained a B.S. from Miami University of Ohio and a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Additional information
- In 2025, he was elected Secretary of the Association of Municipal/County Judges of Ohio
- First appointed Acting Judge by Retired Judge A. Deane Buchanan
- The only municipal court judge in Cleveland Heights and has jurisdiction over preliminary felony hearings, traffic and criminal misdemeanors, civil cases under $15,000, and small claims under $6,000.
- He also has the authority to perform marriages
- Before joining the bench, he practiced law in Cleveland Heights, later working in a boutique firm handling landlord‐tenant matters, real estate management, and housing/building code enforcement defense.
- Judge Costello is known for combining judicial leadership with community‐focused reforms, aiming to improve efficiency, transparency, and access to justice in the municipal court system
- He serves on the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Technology and the Courts, the Ohio Judicial Conference’s Civil Law and Procedure Committee, and the Legislative Committee.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Remote appearances
Statewide
Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance tells courts to include instructions for submitting exhibits or notifying the court of witnesses when remote-hearing information is sent to participants.
Instructions for submitting exhibits or notifying the court of witnesses.Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗
Statewide
Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance recommends advance ground rules for documents, exhibits, screen sharing, and pre-marking exhibits for remote hearings.
Documents: Share any documents/exhibits that will be reviewed in advance. Use the share screen function while documents are being discussed during the hearing. Request that the documents are pre-marked for exhibit purposes.Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗
Statewide
Ohio's statewide virtual-court guidance states that litigants, attorneys, and the public should be instructed not to record the hearing.
The court should instruct the litigants, attorneys, and the public to not record the hearing.Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗
Sources
Identity source checked July 27, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 27, 2026.
Ohio Judicial Conference Directory official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 27, 2026
View Ohio Judicial Conference Directory official judicial roster ↗Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings
Statewide source · HTML · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Virtual Public Access to Ohio Court Proceedings ↗