ALBERT PICKETT, JR.; KEYONNA JOHNSON; JAROME MONTGOMERY; ODESSA PARKS, deceased; TINIYA SHEPHERD, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated v. CITY OF CLEVELAND, OHIO - Articles

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ALBERT PICKETT, JR.; KEYONNA JOHNSON; JAROME MONTGOMERY; ODESSA PARKS, deceased; TINIYA SHEPHERD, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated v. CITY OF CLEVELAND, OHIO

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jun 9, 2025

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ARGUED: Michael J. Ruttinger, TUCKER ELLIS LLP, Cleveland, Ohio, for Appellant.

Attorneys 2: ARGUED: Jennifer A. Holmes, NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC., Washington, D.C., for Appellees.

Attorneys 3: ON BRIEF: Michael J. Ruttinger, Karl A. Bekeny, Christine M. Snyder, Ethan W. Weber, TUCKER ELLIS LLP, Cleveland, Ohio, for Appellant.

Attorneys 4: ON BRIEF: Jennifer A. Holmes, Molly Cain, NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC., Washington, D.C., Arielle Humphries, Alexandra Sloane Thompson, Tiffani Burgess, NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC., New York, New York, Avery S. Friedman, AVERY FRIEDMAN & ASSOCIATES, Cleveland, Ohio, for Appellees.

Attorneys 5: ON BRIEF: Ronald J. Tenpas, VINSON & ELKINS LLP, Washington, D.C., Philip K. Hartmann, FROST BROWN TODD, Columbus, Ohio, Bryan T. Kostura, MCDONALD HOPKINS, LLC, Cleveland, Ohio, D. Rees Alexander, Katherine E. Wenner, SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS U.S. LLP, Columbus, Ohio, Sean A. McCarter, ALBERS & ALBERS, Columbus, Ohio, Robert W. Ballenger, COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES, INC. OF PHILADELPHIA, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lawrence M. Levine, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL, New York, New York, Olivia Wein, NATIONAL CONSUMER LAW CENTER, Washington, D.C., Lori Rifkin, IMPACT FUND, Berkeley, California, Katherine E. Lamm, Sydney A.R. Foster, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Washington, D.C., Katherine Walz, NATIONAL HOUSING LAW PROJECT, San Francisco, California, for Amici Curiae.

Judge(s): CLAY, GIBBONS, and GRIFFIN, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio at Cleveland

CLAY, Circuit Judge. Defendant City of Cleveland appeals the district court’s class certification order of the “Water Lien Class” pursuant to Rules 23(b)(2) and 23(b)(3) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The Class consists of at least 943 individuals in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, all African American, who were assessed a water lien by the City. For the reasons set forth below, we AFFIRM.

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