Ohio Supreme Court
From Judgepedia
Contents |
Founded in 1802, the Ohio Supreme Court, is the state's court of last resort. Most of its cases are appeals from the twelve district courts of appeals.[1]
Jurisdiction
The Ohio Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction in cases regarding the state or national constitution, cases that originated in the courts of appeals, cases of conflicting opinions in the appellate courts, cases involving the death penalty, and may review the Public Utilities Commission and the Board of Tax Appeals.
"The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction to issue extraordinary writs. These include writs of habeas corpus (inquiring into the cause of an allegedly unlawful imprisonment or deprivation of custody), writs of mandamus (ordering a public official to perform a required act), writs of procedendo (compelling a lower court to proceed to judgment in a case), writs of prohibition (ordering a lower court to stop abusing or usurping judicial functions), and writs of quo warranto (issued against a person or corporation for usurpation, misuse, or abuse of public office or corporate office or franchise)." [1]
The court's justices
Selection of justices
The seven justices on the court, one Chief Justice and six associate justices are elected to six-year terms on a nonpartisan ballot. In the case of a vacancy occurring between elections the Governor would appoint a justice. [1] See the article Ohio Supreme Court elections for information about the 2008 Supreme Court elections. Candidates run on the ballot without their political affiliation, however, the affiliation is known prior to the election as the parties "nominate" the candidates for their primary elections.[2]
Qualifications
To be a qualified candidate for the Ohio Supreme Court, a person must have practiced law for at least six years, must be admitted to the Bar in Ohio, and must be younger than 70 years. [1] See the article Ohio Supreme Court elections for information about the 2008 Supreme Court elections.
Current justices
With the election of Justice Robert Cupp in November 2006 to replace Democrat Alice Robie Resnick, the Court is currently all Republican. Three of the seven seats on the court are up for election in 2010: Justices Pfeifer, Moyer and Lanzinger.
| Name | Appointed/Elected | Term expires | Appointed by | Political affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice Thomas Moyer | 1986 | December 31, 2010 | - | Republican |
| Paul Pfeifer | 1992 | December 31, 2010 | - | Republican |
| Evelyn Stratton | 1996 | December 31, 2014 | Governor George Voinovich | Republican |
| Maureen O'Connor | 2002 | December 31, 2014 | - | Republican |
| Terrence O'Donnell | 2003 | December 31, 2012 | Governor Robert A. Taft II | Republican |
| Judith Ann Lanzinger | November 2, 2004 | December 31, 2010 | - | Republican |
| Robert Cupp | November of 2006 | December 31, 2012 | - | Republican |
Chief justice
Thomas J. Moyer is the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. The last day of his current term is December 31, 2010. He is a Republican and the longest-serving current state chief justice in the United States.[3]
Notable decisions
Contract enforcement
Criminal justice
Election law
Family law
Government accountability
Gun rights
Opinions of current justices
History of the court
In 1802, the Constitution was instituted with the creation of Ohio as a state. The Constitution provided a Supreme Court of the state with three judges.[4] The size of the court increased throughout history--in 1912, an amendment to the Constitution increased the court from three justices to six, and the membership of the court was identified with a Chief Justice and six associate justices.
2008 election
- On November 4, Justice Maureen O'Connor garnered 2,729,018 votes (67%) to defeat Joseph Russo, who received 1,329,183 votes (33%).[5]
- On November 4, Justice Evelyn Stratton received 2,443,112 (63%) to defeat challenger Peter Sikora, who received 1,424,786 votes (37%).[5]
For more information, see the Ohio Supreme Court elections page.
Salary of the court
- Chief Justice: (2005) $140,100; (2006) $144,300; (2007) $146,750; (2008) $150,850
- Justice: (2005) $131,500; (2006) $135,450; (2007) $137,750; (2008) $141,600
- Court of Appeals Judges: (2005) $122,550; (2006) $126,250; (2007) $128,400; (2008) $132,000
- Common Pleas Judges: (2005) $112,700; (2006) $116,100; (2007) $118,050; (2008) $121,350
- Full-time Municipal Court Judges: (2005) $105,950; (2006) $109,150; (2007) $111,000; (2008) $114,100
- Part-time Municipal Court and County Court Judges: (2005) $60,950; (2006) $62,800; (2007) $63,850; (2008) $65,650 [6]
External links
- A More Modest Court: The Ohio Supreme Court's Newfound Judicial Restraint
- The Ohio Supreme Court: A Court at the Crossroads
- Ohio Supreme Court Official Site
- Fortune Magazine: Legal Pad
- Fringe Tactics: Special Interest Groups Target Judicial Races
- Ohio SC Opinions search
- Wikipedia:Ohio Supreme Court
- Volohk Conspiracy: Adler on A More Modest Ohio Supreme Court
- State Supreme Court overrules Brunner
- Ohio Supreme Court decisions from the Cleveland Law Library Association
References
| |||||
| ||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
 |
The Ohio Project on Judgepedia
|
|
