Law Dept. Employees

Law Department Employees

City of Garfield Heights, Ohio

Timothy J. Riley | Kevin P. Weiler, Sr. | Je'Nine A. Nickerson | Joseph P. Morse | Rose Puntel-Shalek

Timothy J. Riley, Law Director

Mr. Riley began serving the City of Garfield Heights as an Assistant City Prosecutor/Assistant Law Director in January, 1994. In 2007, he was appointed Chief Police Prosecutor. Before being appointed to his current position as Law Director in 2009, Mr. Riley handled criminal and civil matters in the municipal, state and federal district courts for the City of Garfield Heights. As Law Director, Mr. Riley’s responsibilities include overseeing the Law Department including any and all work product, and his staff which made up of full-time and part-time employees. Mr. Riley attends all regular and special Council Meetings, acts as counsel to the Planning Commission, represents all employees of the Municipal Court as well as the employees of all City Departments, including the Mayor, all Directors and Council Members. Mr. Riley also acts an advisor to the Zoning Board and Civil Service Commission.

Mr. Riley graduated from Benedictine High School in 1982 and received his B.A. from The Ohio State University in 1986. He then attended Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in Cleveland, Ohio where he received his Juris Doctorate in 1989. Mr. Riley has practiced law as a trial attorney for over twenty (20) years handling both criminal and civil litigation in Municipal and Common Pleas Courts. Mr. Riley is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, Cuyahoga Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the Northeast Ohio Municipal Prosecutors Association. Mr. Riley also serves as an Arbitration Chairman for Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.

Kevin P. Weiler, Sr., Assistant Law Director

Mr. Weiler was appointed to his current position as Assistant Law Director in 2010, In addition to serving as Assistant Law Director of Garfield Heights, Mr. Weiler is Assistant Law Director of the Village of Linndale, Ohio. Prior thereto, he was the Village Solicitor and Prosecutor of the Village of Walton Hills for nearly four years, Law Director and Prosecutor of the City of Broadview Heights, Ohio for sixteen years, and served as Broadview Heights Assistant Law Director and Prosecutor for three years immediately preceding his tenure as Law Director and Prosecutor. Mr. Weiler specializes in municipal law and all forms of misdemeanor and traffic law. Mr. Weiler is the principal of Weiler & Associates. Prior thereto, he was a partner at Cassidy & Mottl, Co. L.P.A. in Parma Heights, Ohio. Before becoming an attorney, Mr. Weiler served as a Probation Officer for Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court and later as Enforcement Officer for Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court.

He is a Lifetime Member of the Ohio Court of Appeals Eighth Judicial Conference. He is also a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ohio Municipal Lawyers Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, the Parma Bar Association, the Cuyahoga County Law Directors Association, and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Association. He serves on the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Judicial Selection Committee. He is also a member of the Catholic Lawyers Guild. Mr. Weiler is co-author of Ohio Driving Under the Influence Law published by Thomson-West Legal Publishers along with his wife, Judge Jennifer P. Weiler of the Garfield Heights Municipal Court. Mr. Weiler has published several articles in the Cuyahoga County Bar Association’s “Law & Fact” and has lectured for the Cuyahoga County Bar Association, the Cuyahoga County Municipal Prosecutors Association, Lorman Educational Services, and the Parma Bar Association.

Je' Nine A. Nickerson, City Prosecutor

Ms. Nickerson has served as a Prosecutor for the City of Garfield Heights since 2008. In that role, she handles primarily criminal matters for the City of Garfield Heights, but also assists on many of the civil matters pertaining to the City when needed. Prior to returning to serve as a Prosecutor for the City of Garfield Heights, Ms. Nickerson also worked as a law clerk for the City while she attended law school from 2003 through 2005.

Her prior work history also includes working as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the Office of William D. Mason and working in private practice for several years.

Ms. Nickerson obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Case Western Reserve University in 2002, and Graduated Juris Doctorate from Cleveland Marshall College of Law in 2005.

Joseph P. Morse, Assistant City Prosecutor

Mr. Morse is our newest member of Law Department, serving in his current position as Assistant Prosecutor since December, 2009. Mr. Morse serves as an assistant to the Prosecutor and the Law Director. He handles criminal matters in the Garfield Heights Municipal Court.

Mr. Morse is a trial attorney in a private practice which serves Greater Cleveland, Ohio with concentrations in criminal and civil litigation in Ohio and Federal Courts. Prior to starting his own practice, he served as a law clerk in the office of the Cuyahoga County Public Defender.

Mr. Morse received his A.B. from John Carroll University in 1997. He then attended Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in Cleveland, Ohio where he received his Juris Doctorate in 2000. Mr. Morse is a member of the Cuyahoga County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Rose Puntel-Shalek, Executive Legal Assistant

Rose is an Executive Legal Assistant for The City of Garfield Heights Law Department. She has the important role of overseeing and managing the everyday tasks of a complex department. Her responsibilities include coordinating meetings, handling communication and work product flow between all outside sources to the Law Director, Assistant Law Director, City Prosecutors, and Law Clerks. Rose also assists Council and the Mayor with submission of all legislation requests; prepares the Council Agendas for all Council Meetings; and oversees all Bureau of Worker’s Compensation Claims for injured City workers. Rose serves as personal assistant to the Law Director, Timothy J. Riley as well as the Economic Development Director, Noreen Kuban.

Rose has over ten (10 +) years experience in the legal field working under multiple Attorneys specializing in all different areas of law including Civil Matters, Criminal Matters and Municipal Law. Rose attended Kent State University, and graduated from Mayfield High School in 1997.

Email: rpuntel@garfieldhts.org

Top of Page | Return to the Law Department Page | Return to Welcome Page
| E-mail us