James F. McCarty
Plain Dealer Reporter

Using ladders and cables, a team of elevator technicians rescued about a dozen people stranded between floors at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center after the power went out.

Some of the suspended riders reacted better to the frightening few hours than others.

"It's gotta be a nightmare," said night building superintendent Lawrence Desotell, who organized the rescue effort. "But the guys from Kone [Elevator Co.] are on it. They realize that people are in a panic, they're hot and sweaty and they want to get out."

The first two people rescued were all smiles as they greeted a welcoming committee of sheriff's deputies in the first floor rotunda.

"I was OK until I called my wife on the cell phone and she told me the power outages were from New York to Detroit. That's when I got nervous," said Cleveland Municipal Court Magistrate Michael Ryan. "I called the front desk on the emergency phone and they said they would be with me shortly. Shortly turned into 2 and a half hours."

Ryan was stuck between the 13th and 14th floors. He passed the time talking through the walls with court intern Tashawna Lewis who was stuck in an adjoining elevator.

"We talked about family, life, jobs, being stuck in an elevator, but mostly about faith," said Lewis, 19, a Tri-C student from Cleveland. "I was reading my Bible."

When the rescuers arrived they opened the hatches on top of the elevators, dropped in ladders and pulled Ryan and Lewis through the trap door.

Grabbing thick, metal cables for support, they climbed to the next floor and stepped through the open doors to safety.

Two women trapped together between the 22nd and 21st floors weren't as calm when their episode ended.

"They were panicking," a Koout ofployee said. "They went out the doors pretty quick."

A sheriff's department medic was waiting for them with bottled water and a first aid kit.

Those stuck on elevators weren't the only ones to suffer. People who had to walk several flights of stairs poured outof the hallway doors, celebrating views of daylight with grateful sighs and hugs of congratulation. Many carried candles to illuminate the dark stairwells. Bailiff Jim Newman escorted his judge Bridget McCafferty, to safety with a penlight.

"It's really bad up there," McCafferty said.

A woman juror had to lay down to catch her breath. Another appeared to suffer a panic attack and was administered oxygen.

Judge Eileen Gallagher was trying a death penalty case when the courtroom went black. The witness at the time was a 350-pound jailhouse "snitch" who had to be kept apart from the defendant.

"The deputies were great," said Assistant County Prosecutor Steve Dever. "They cuffed both of them immediately and got them into separate cells."

Chief Sheriff's Deputy Dan Pukach said their were no known injuries or security problems with jail inmates. Assistant Court Administrator Greg Popovich said the evacuation of the building went smoothly, in contrast to the gridlock experienced on Sept. 11, 2001.

"I guess we've learned something in the past two years," Popovich said.