Federal judge rejects Cleveland, DOJ request to end federal oversight, Sen. Moreno calls the judge a ‘liberal activist’

Despite both local Democratic officials in Cleveland and the Department of Justice being willing to end the Cleveland police decree, a federal judge recently refused to end federal oversight of the department, writing in his decision that it is not yet time to do so.

In his 74-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver explained his decision by saying that the city “has a ways to go before the department’s reform is complete, and that Cleveland had reached “substantial compliance” in only 30% of the consent decree.

“The Consent Decree is not a checklist,” he wrote. “It is a framework for systemic change. The parties have not demonstrated that the community trust and cultural reform envisioned by the Decree have been fully realized.”

Oliver added that the local and federal governments “have not demonstrated that the community trust and cultural reform envisioned by the Decree have been fully realized.”

The ruling by Oliver came months after city officials and the DOJ argued that Cleveland transformed enough for the federal government ot stop controlling the local police department.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said that he was “disappointed” by Oliver’s ruling, according to Cleveland.com.

“Cleveland has made real progress under the consent decree, and that progress belongs to our residents, officers, and community partners,” he said, according to the news source. “While we are disappointed by today’s decision, our commitment to constitutional policing, accountability, and building trust has not changed.”

U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, also criticized Oliver on X, going so far as to accuse him of political partisanship.

“Grift paid for by Cleveland taxpayers continues thanks to an unelected, unhinged liberal activist disguised as a judge,” he wrote. “The consent decree failed to keep Cleveland safe by kneecapping law enforcement. Without a huge improvement in safety, Cleveland won’t achieve its potential.”

Grift paid for by Cleveland taxpayers continues thanks to an unelected, unhinged liberal activist disguised as a judge. The consent decree failed to keep Cleveland safe by kneecapping law enforcement. Without a huge improvement in safety, Cleveland won’t achieve its potential. https://t.co/jkK64p3exa

— Bernie Moreno (@berniemoreno) May 8, 2026

On the other hand, the Cleveland chapter of the NAACP and the Cleveland Community Police Commission supported Oliver’s decision, saying that the removal of the federal oversight is allegedly premature, the news source reported.

Cleveland Police Commissioner, as well as a former Cleveland Municipal judge and NAACP Cleveland president, Michael Nelson, also said that it is too early to end the police decree, saying that Cleveland has been the “epicenter of excessive use of force.”

“There are still other things that need to be accomplished to ensure the culture of policing changes,” he said, according to the news source. “If we do this thing right, Cleveland can be an example for other cities to follow.

Cleveland Police Commission co-chair John Adams also agreed with Oliver’s decision, saying that “the city is going to have to function at a high capacity after the consent decree ends.”

“We’ve put a lot of time and resources into this, and it would be a shame if we backslid,” Adams said, according to Cleveland.com.

Oliver set the next hearing for June 4, the news source reported.

The federal government began monitoring the city’s police department in 2015 after the FBI discovered, during its investigation, an alleged pattern of civil rights violations in the department. Former Mayor Frank Jackson, as well as civic, civil rights, and religious leaders, supported the federal oversight.