Justice Jennifer Brunner is seeking election to the Ohio Supreme Court as Chief Justice.
Why are you running for office, and what previous experience makes you the most qualified candidate for this position?
I’m running for Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court because justice matters for every Ohioan. Steady and principled leadership of the state’s highest court is essential to helping Ohioans realize justice in their everyday lives.
The state’s constitution is the voice of its people. The Ohio Supreme Court is the constitution’s caretaker, a guardian to ensure people and their rights are protected.
As a current Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court I participate in deciding which cases the court reviews and in helping set the course for the rule of law in our state. Not all cases are accepted by the state’s highest court. This is because the constitution requires us to determine the law for matters of great and general public interest.
Ohio is a very diverse state with deep rural roots, storied urban communities and countless small and middle sized towns and cities. I take seriously my responsibility as one of seven people elected to do justice for all the people of Ohio. I am grateful for what I’ve learned from Ohioans in my many years of service to them, working at three levels of the state’s courts and as Ohio’s first female secretary of state.
Why Chief Justice? Administrative and policy leadership of the court is not about an ideology of who should win and who should lose. It is about a belief and understanding that courts are only as effective as people believe them to be. Good judges and fair courts can make all the difference in the confidence Ohioans have in their judiciary. And that confidence makes our courts more effective.
I know that courts can do good things for people—protect their health, safety and welfare—with fairness, equality and respect. And I am committed to doing this every day now and as Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court.
I am further committed to using the power of the court to help lift the vision of all judges of the state to why we serve and the power we have to do good for all Ohioans.
What are the key issues you plan to emphasize in your campaign?
My campaign is based on my vision for a justice system in Ohio that operates with accountability, openness and fairness to all and that promotes access to justice--a judicial campaign for and about people.
Already, as a justice on the state’s highest court, I have been privileged to support bail reform for greater equality for Ohioans,
promote greater access to justice through technology initiatives to keep people safe and make remote participation easier, join initiatives to identify systemic racism in the criminal justice system through the creation of data on sentencing across Ohio, make it easier for transgendered individuals who need safe access to accurate records such as their birth certificates in helping to support a quality of life many of us take for granted.
As the only candidate in the race who with experience managing a statewide office in Ohio and supervising local government activities in every county of this state, my policy agenda to lead Ohio’s judiciary as Ohio’s next Chief Justice is organized around this philosophy: "Courts belong to the people."
My vision to lead Ohio's courts embraces the principles of helping Ohioans have access to their courts while working with judges throughout Ohio as responsive public servants promoting fairness, equality and respect for all persons. Video of my remarks about my platform, given on September 14, 2021, is available on this campaign Website. I believe that when one person is helped, many benefit, and I am passionate about the ways our courts can help people when we work together with a common vision.
My vision for Ohio courts includes continuing support for pandemic recovery efforts as well as expanding and harmonizing the use of technology in local and specialized-docket courts. I am committed to examining our criminal justice system to identify and root out systemic racism so that people are treated fairly and equally in the state’s criminal justice system. And this includes implementing a criminal sentencing database to help judges understand more about their sentencing practices and to increase public confidence in the state’s judiciary.
Ohio’s judicial branch has been in highly capable hands for nearly 12 years with my friend and colleague, Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. I plan to respect and treat her impressive accomplishments as a springboard to further advancing new and current initiatives to develop courts that serve all Ohioans with fairness, equality and respect. This attitude will carry into the Supreme Court’s partnership and interaction with judges, lawyers, litigants and individuals served by the court.
Specific policy items of my platform include these important components:
Task Force to Establish a Commission on Fairness and Equality in Ohio’s Courts and Legal System. More than 20 years ago, the Ohio Supreme Court established the Ohio Commission on Racial Fairness, which drew members from the courts, the bar, law enforcement, the clergy, academia, and the community. The commission issued a 1999 report that recommended ways to address pre-trial and sentencing transparency and accountability. Today, many of these recommendations remain unaddressed or unfulfilled, and new issues have emerged, prompting a need to reexamine the issue. To address this, I will convene a diverse task force to establish a permanent Commission on Fairness and Equality in Ohio’s Courts. That commission will recommend reforms for the 21st century and, most importantly, examine every facet of Ohio’s criminal justice system to identify and create solutions for systemic problems that result in unequal treatment of protected classes of individuals in the criminal justice system.
Criminal Sentencing Database. One of the unfulfilled recommendations of the 1999 Ohio Commission on Racial Fairness is a long-overdue data collection effort now being implemented as a pilot program. Judges, policy makers and the public need reliable data, not just anecdotal examples or judgments based on personal belief, to develop practices, policies and laws that can be objectively evaluated to see if they work as intended. The Ohio Supreme Court has empowered a task force to collect data on pre-trial and sentencing practices in relation to demographic characteristics of Ohioans in the state’s criminal justice system. It will identify trends, drawing comparisons in a standardized format for similar types of crimes, criminal records and other sentencing factors, in categories that include race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and, if known, ethnic background and religion. Related to this project is the current development of a uniform sentencing entry for the state’s trial judges. This will aid in capturing accurate data, help judges follow the nuances of all sentencing laws and make criminal justice processes more efficient and cost-effective. Continued development and completion of the statewide database and related projects will be a top priority of my administration.
Specialized dockets. As a common pleas court judge, it was my joy and privilege to initiate Franklin County’s adult felony drug court program in 2004, known as the TIES (Treatment is Essential to Success) Program. I plan to continue Ohio’s national leadership in innovating specialized dockets, sometimes called problem-solving courts. That would include expanding the Supreme Court’s specialized docket support to lower courts and bringing local leaders and participants together from across the state to share and develop best practices, including reliable data to evaluate program effectiveness.
Technology for the courts. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how instrumental technology is to the full and effective functioning of the state’s courts, which were able to meet their state constitutional mandate of remaining open throughout the pandemic with emergency technology grants from the Ohio Supreme Court. But Ohio is a diverse state, from its multi-judge urban courts to its rural county appellate courts that cover multiple counties. When it comes to technology, Ohio’s courts can do better and I know they will. Equalizing and improving technology and system interoperability between courts and the Ohio Supreme Court and making information uniformly accessible to the public will be a top priority in a Brunner administration. In 2021, 143 local court projects will have received more than $8.6 million through the Supreme Court’s Technology Initiative Program. I pledge that as Chief Justice I will work to support needed technology for Ohio's courts and continue those efforts to improve the delivery of local courts’ services and citizens’ equal access to justice.
Campaign and Judicial Integrity. At a time when a bribery scandal involving the state’s largest utility and the current leadership of the executive and legislative branches is roiling state government, I have pledged that I will not accept campaign contributions from any publicly regulated utility in the state.
Fiscal Responsibility. I will use skills developed balancing the budget of the Secretary of State’s Office during the Great Recession to bring leaders together across the Ohio judicial branches to ensure the immediate and long-term fiscal health of the courts as they recover from the pandemic.
Public Education about the Law. The overseas rule of law and anti-corruption work I have engaged in as a legal expert for the U.S. government has informed me about the importance of citizens’ confidence in government. When people believe government works for them, they support its work as only citizens can. Government in turn works better with this kind of participation. In addition to its own Visitor Education Center at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center, the Ohio Supreme Court currently supports the Ohio Center for Law Related Education, housed at the Ohio State Bar Association. I plan to continue and expand support of public education programs aimed at informing young people about government and the work of Ohio’s courts.
Bail Reform. I supported Chief Justice O’Connor’s efforts that resulted in the Supreme Court changing the rules governing bail, bond, and pretrial release in criminal cases. Under that 2020 rule change, courts now must use the least-restrictive bond conditions and least amount of monetary bail to secure the defendant’s appearance. But more must be done. I will continue to bring judges, lawyers and community leaders together to develop and implement reforms that promote good behavior in the community and keep the community safe, such as conditions of bond that include continued employment, drug testing and innovations to promote productive and therapeutically supported behavior while awaiting trial or post-trial hearings. Further, I will create a task force to develop pre-trial programs for people out on bail. Those could include ways to access basic services, employment search training, community service opportunities, drug-and-alcohol treatment and preparedness and educational opportunities. The goal would be to use successful community supervision as a diversion to incarceration when possible.
Conviction Reform. Last year, Chief Justice O’Connor issued guidelines to convene a new Ohio Supreme Court Task Force on wrongful convictions that would “analyze current practices and recommend improvements to further our standards of justice.” I will actively promote and support the success and completion of this work and the consideration of reform recommendations by the Supreme Court and the legal and judicial community.
Opioid Initiative. A top priority of the Brunner Administration will be to continue the work of the Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative (RJOI), which brings together leaders from an eight-state region (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia) that has been particularly devastated by opioid abuse. The goal of the initiative is for leaders to work more effectively and collaboratively across disciplines to confront this problem. It seeks to speed up responses by state courts, children’s services, criminal justice and treatment systems. According to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, more than 23,700 Ohioans have died from 2010 to 2019 from prescription opioid overdoses. (This does not include the thousands more who have died from non-prescription opioids). Ohio is close to reaching a settlement with four top opioid manufacturers for an $808 million payment to Ohio. I will collaborate with other state leaders so Ohio’s judicial and legal communities can provide their expertise toward meaningful use of these funds to advance effective court programs that provide drug and mental health treatment and counseling to criminal defendants as well as ways to benefit victims, families and the community as we combat the scourge of opioid addiction in Ohio.
Defending judicial independence. I will be a steadfast defender of judicial independence in the face of increasing attacks by partisans and special interests. In 2008 the bipartisan John F. Kennedy Library and Museum awarded me the Profile in Courage Award for my work as Ohio Secretary of State. My commitment to public service and the independence of the judiciary is unwavering, and “fairness, equality and respect” is at the heart of what motivated me in public service.
Thus, it will not matter to me, whether someone has a D or an R after their name, if they attack a judge or a court in this state for doing their job, being impartial and deciding cases fairly, I will defend the judiciary and the rule of law with strength and directness that will be swift and understandable for the benefit of public confidence in our courts.
Please tell us about your educational and employment background.
EDUCATION:
Honorary Doctor of Laws May 2008
Capital University Law School, Columbus, Ohio
Juris Doctor August 1979 – December 1983
Capital University Law School, Columbus, Ohio, Order of the Curia
Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, Sociology-Gerontology August 1975 – August 1978
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
TRAININGS:
Trained as facilitator for training professionals in Bridges Out of Poverty curriculum. (Dells, Wisconsin 2004).
EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND:
Supreme Court of Ohio, State of Ohio, USA January 2, 2021 - Present
Associate Justice
Tenth District Court of Appeals, State of Ohio, USA November 2014 - Present
Appellate Judge
USAID Short-Term Technical Expert for Rule of Law, Multiple Locations February 2012 - Present
Elections, Democracy Governance, Judicial Reform and Anti-Corruption
Consultant and Educator
Brunner Quinn Law Firm, Columbus, Ohio January 2011 – November 2014
Founding Partner Since 1988
Candidate for Democratic Nomination for United States Senate, Ohio February 2009 – May 2010
Statewide Ohio Candidate
State of Ohio, Columbus, Ohio January 2007 – January 2011
Secretary of State
Candidate for Ohio Secretary of State, Columbus, Ohio September 2005 – November 2006
Statewide Ohio Candidate
Franklin County Common Pleas Court, Columbus, Ohio December 2000 – August 2005
State Trial Court Judge
Multiple Firms (Detailed Below), Columbus, Ohio March 1987 – December 2000
Private Practice of Law
Ohio Secretary of State Sherrod Brown, Columbus, Ohio January 1983 – March 1987
Corporations and Legislative Counsel October 1983 - March 1987
Assistant Corporations Counsel to Ohio Secretary of State, Columbus, Ohio January 1983 – October 1983
Ohio Senate, Columbus, Ohio October 1978 - January 1981
Legislative Aide
Committee Secretary
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio August 1976 – August 1978
Research Associate/Gerontology Consultant, National Science Foundation Grant May 1978 – August 1978
Student Assistant to Sociology professor (8 hours per week) September 1977 – May 1978
Gerontology Student Case Worker (8 hours per week) January 1976 – May 1978
BRIEF BIO:
On November 3, 2020 Judge Jennifer Brunner was elected Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. Previously she served as a judge of the Tenth District Court of Appeals for 6 years and the Franklin County Common Pleas Court for nearly 5 years. As a trial court judge Brunner founded the county’s adult felony drug court, known as the TIES (Treatment is Essential to Success) Program, now in its seventeenth year of operation. She was elected Ohio’s first woman Secretary of State on November 7, 2006 and held the office for four years. While in that office, she became the first Ohioan to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award from the bipartisan board of the JFK Library and Museum in Boston. Justice Brunner has 17 years of private law practice experience and has provided rule of law technical expertise to the government of the Republic of Serbia, election observation in the Arab Republic of Egypt, and rule of law instruction at the bar association of Sri Lanka through the U.S. state department (USAID), as well as provided remote rule of law and civic participation training through the American Bar Association to the Republic of Kazakhstan. She has gained a deep understanding of the importance of a strong and well-functioning judiciary to preserving peace and growing democracy through the rule of law. A native of Springfield, Ohio, Justice Brunner has been married to Rick Brunner since 1978. They have 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren, 2 dogs and 2 cats and spend time at their home in Columbus and at their farm in Columbiana County in Northeast Ohio.
Please list all offices you have previously held or sought election to. (Include dates)
Common Pleas Court Judge Franklin County 2000, 2002
Elected to unexpired term and reelected
Secretary of State Ohio 2006
Elected
United States Senate Ohio 2010
Defeated in primary
Court of Appeals Franklin County 2014, 2016
Elected to unexpired term and reelected
Supreme Court Ohio 2020
Elected
Have you ever been the subject of any legal or disciplinary proceeding alleging moral turpitude, dishonesty, or unethical conduct? If so, please describe the circumstances and ultimate outcome.
In 2014, landlord of home rented by my family in 1984, sought to quiet title after having granted right of first refusal some 32 years earlier concerning the sale of the house where my husband and I had rented from her. She contacted me during 2014 judicial campaign and alluded to the fact of my running for office, after failing to satisfy terms of first refusal. She sued both us personally, alleging that I promised her in 1984 we would remove our recorded right and that at the time I made the alleged promise I had no intention of keeping it. Jury found I never made the promise she alleged and lawsuit was terminated.
Describe how you have been an active and contributing member of the legal profession and your community.
LEGAL PROFESSION:
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS: (complete list available upon request)
Publications:
• Foreword, Bridges Across Every Divide – Policy and Practices to Reduce Poverty and Build Communities, Forthcoming (March 2018), Highlands, TX: aha! Process, Inc.
• Study for Progress Ohio Education, "Why the American Public Wants 9 Supreme Court Justices."
• Columbus Bar Association Magazine – “Observing Egypt’s 2014 Constitutional Referendum Election: A Study of the Roles of Lawyers and Judges in Protecting Democracy” – Spring, 2014
• Book: Cupcakes and Courage, available at Amazon.com and on Kindle, concerning experiences in public life and from the perspective of promoting individual democratic participation and securing equality for women and minorities. – 2012
• Law review article publication, Michigan State University, Detroit College of Law, “Separation of Powers as Basis for Restraint on a Free Speaking Judiciary and the Implementation of Canon 7 of the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct as a Model for Other States.” - Winter, 1999-2000
• Author of various Op Ed articles as Secretary of State of Ohio in news publications throughout Ohio from 2007 - 2010.
Addresses and Interviews:
• Lake County Bar Association – Keynote speaker for Law Day, May, 2013.
• Ohio presidential election night reporting for Dan Rather, HD Net, 2012.
• Serbia: Political Finance Consultant and speaker on location for Management Systems International as subcontractor for National Center for State Courts on Judicial Reform and Accountability five-year grant project with presentations to news media representatives of Serbia in Vrsac and Zlatibor regarding recently enacted Anti-Corruption Agency Act as applied to political finance oversight for 2012 national and local elections, March, 2012.
• California University, California, Pennsylvania, American Democracy Project – keynote, “Profile in Courage, Guarding the Vote,” April, 2012.
• Malone University, Canton, Ohio – co-keynote for annual Worldview Forum, “Can a Christian be a Democrat?” March, 2012.
Commencement Speeches:
• Eastern Gateway Community College, Steubenville, Ohio, May 2018.
• Forensic Law certificate ceremony speaker, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, August 2015.
• Capital University Law School, Columbus, Ohio, May 2008.
• Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, Ohio, May 2008.
• ITT Technical School, Youngstown, Ohio, May 2009.
Presentations:
• Periodic guest lecturer at The Ohio State University, John Glenn College of Public Affairs and Moritz College of Law, 2014 – present.
• Judge, National Black Law Students Association moot court competition finals, 2019, held in Cincinnati
• Judge, Moot Court at Capital University Law School moot court competitions, 2015 – present.
• Developed curriculum for senior attorneys and for junior attorneys for multi-day educational seminars on negotiation skills as an effective “tool of the trade” and “training of the trainers” for Bar Association of Sri Lanka (USAID-funded project), Colombo, Sri Lanka, August, 2015.
• Presenter, Ohio State Bar Association, “What Corporate Counsel Needs to Know About Political Activity,” live webcast delivery, 2013, 2014.
• Presenter, 2005 International Association of Law and Mental Health Conference, “Addressing Co-occurring Disorders in Drug Courts”, held at Paris-Sorbonne University, Paris, France, July 2005.
SELECTED AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: (complete list available upon request)
• John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, May 2008, for work as Ohio’s chief election officer. The Profile in Courage Award seeks to make Americans aware of the conscientious and courageous acts of their public servants, and to encourage elected officials to choose principles over partisanship – to do what is right, rather than what is expedient.
• Central Ohio Association for Justice George E. Tyack Judicial Excellence Award, May 2016.
• First recipient of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones Award for Northeast Ohio Chapter of the American Constitution Society, 2009.
• Named one of 25 leaders in Role Model Magazine, promoting the healthy development of leadership for women and girls, 2014.
• Featured in September 2012 release of the Women’s Book for central Ohio as a woman of achievement.
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: (complete list available upon request)
Professional Organizations:
• Fellow, American Bar Association, Life Member
• Fellow, Ohio State and Columbus Bar Associations
• Member Emeritus, National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS)
• Served as Co-Chair of International Relations Committee for NASS 2008-2009
• Served as Co-Chair of Elections Committee for NASS 2009-2010
COMMUNITY:
• Past Board Member, Center for Community Solutions, Cleveland, Ohio (health and human services research, policy and advocacy, 2013 to 2019)
• Past Board Chair and member, Legacy Fund for LGBT community endowment (2012 to 2021)
• OxFam America, past Sisters on the Planet Ambassador, U.S. national network of women influencers (one of 3 from Ohio) who assist OxFam America in helping to achieve sufficient U.S. policy planning and resources to help improve the lives of people living in poverty or risk of harm in the world (2014 to 2021)
• U.S Global Leadership Coalition, member of Ohio Advisory Committee for organization supporting adequate funding for U.S. Development budget (2011 to 2021)
• Founding Mother, Matriots PAC (nonpartisan political action committee promoting the election of women in Ohio, 2017 to present)
• Former Board Member, ProgressOhio Education (supporting public policy research and education, 2011 to 2016)
• Former Member, Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist licensing board, appointed by Ohio governor, (2013 to 2014)
• Former Member, Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, appointed by Ohio governor, (2011 to 2012)
• Former Member, Central Ohio Transit Authority (public transit bus system operating board), appointed by Mayor of Columbus, (2013 to 2014)
• Former Board Member, Neighborhood Launch Condominium Association (2013 to 2016)
• Volunteer, Clintonville Resource Center (Columbus, Ohio), providing pro bono legal work to its clients (2013-2014)
What is your general judiciary philosophy?
I am a public servant who happens to be a judge. Fairness, equality and respect are my guideposts in public service.
For the position of Chief Justice, administrative and policy leadership of the court is not about an ideology of who should win and who should lose. It is about a belief and understanding that courts are only as effective as people believe them to be. Good judges and fair courts can make all the difference in the confidence Ohioans have in their judiciary. And that confidence makes our courts more effective.
What do you perceive as the greatest obstacle to justice, if any?
Lack of courage. Judges must often do unpopular things when following the law, and this requires courage. "Originalist" and "textualist" judges perceive themselves as courageous when, for instance, they read the state constitution as forbidding them to act, even when there is express language that permits it, but they perceive it to be in conflict with other provisions of that document. Judges who believe otherwise, perceive themselves as courageous for being subject to the criticism of originalists and textualists and for disturbing the status quo of those who are economically and socially more well off. But, to me, real courage exists when a judge tries to do her or his best in the spirit of public service, using wise judgment, commitment to legal principles and remembering it is the people who speak through the state constitution, delegating the inherent right of self-governance to their representatives of government--including judges. In the end, courage is best demonstrated in love and service--for those who have delegated their collective power and placed their trust in these elected representatives to govern.
What is your vision for the future of our judicial system? What changes would you advocate for and why?
Please see my platform for office, with specific policy statements for administration of the Ohio Supreme Court.
While serving on the bench, do you believe you have a role in bringing important legal or judicial issues before the public or the legislature?
Yes. Starting the Franklin County TIES ("Treatment is Essential to Success") Drug Court Program in 2004 and still in operation today, is one example. It took reaching out to the community for systemic change to be occur and to be sustainable. Often a judge is in the best position to cross lines of differences and bring diverse groups together such as the treatment community and the criminal justice community. As Chief Justice, it will be my responsibility to set policy for Ohio's courts, and often this takes legislative partnership. The jurisdiction of the state's lower courts is "as established by law," according to our state's Constitution.
Do you believe the composition of juries adequately and fairly reflects society at-large? Why or why not? If not, what can be done to change this?
There have been efforts to expand jury pools beyond voter registration lists to include drivers licenses. This has helped in broadening the diversity of jurors and their life experiences. Perhaps public educational institutions' lists of graduating high school students may assist as well. Note, that a person with a felony record may not serve as a juror without a presidential pardon. (R.C. 2961.01 and 2967.16).
A task force of the state's high court could be initiated to study the problem statewide and make recommendations for rule changes and programs to address the problem.
Do you believe there is an under-representation of women and people of color in the justice system? If so, how would you work to solve this problem?
Yes, and while greater numbers of women and people of color are being appointed and elected to judicial positions, there is far to go. When U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out that a “wise Latina” judge may “reach a better conclusion” than a white male judge, she was criticized. While the diversity or background of a judge is not determinative of the quality of their legal reasoning, diversity is important for broader perspectives in determining workable criminal sentences, especially involving probation/community control, in understanding life beyond the reference point of a particular judge and in recognizing the complex problems that are often intertwined with societal problems, for decisions that may be far reaching.
I have been a mentor and continue to be, to judges who are underrepresented on Ohio's state bench. More specialized classes in judicial education and the education of lawyers should be emphasized to provide pathways for more of those underrepresented to work in the judicial system. I would support these, as well as collaborate with nonprofit and professional organizations already engaged in this mission.
How do you feel that the judicial system addresses implicit bias in the areas of race, gender and sexual orientation? How can it be improved?
It tries through educational programs for judges. The Ohio Supreme Court’s Judicial College has made racial bias studies part of its curriculum for decades, so the renewed spotlight is bringing an extra measure of power to discussions about innate human biases. “Every study that’s ever been done shows that we have biases,” said Second District Court of Appeals Judge Jeffrey Froelich, involved with the Court's educational arm.
It can be improved with the full implementation of the centralized database, known as the Ohio Sentencing Data Platform, that will include the collection of statewide criminal justice sentences, making information accessible, shareable, and reportable. The database will allow judges from counties across the state to know what other judges are doing in terms of similar sentences for similar offenses. This data will also importantly provide insights for researchers, policy makers, advocates, and the public to determine whether racial disparities or other inconsistencies exist from court to court.
Do you believe Judges have an obligation to improve public understanding of the courts and how they work? If so, how should they accomplish this?
Yes, and the Ohio Supreme Court is an award winner on this front as the 2021 winner of the National Center for State Court's Sandra Day O'Connor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education. I plan to continue and expand that, further supporting the Center for Law Related Education and other, similar programs consistent with my philosophy that if people trust their courts, their courts work better for them.
As Ohio faces an opioid epidemic, what role should Judges play in addressing the growing addiction/mental health crisis?
I will be shortly unveiling a plan on what courts can do further to address Ohio's opioid epidemic. Here is a sneak preview:
Additional funding for Ohio’s drug courts to strengthen the 170 programs that already exist and expand the successful model into more communities.
Expanding Ohio’s participation in the 8-state Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative (RJOI).
Working with the Ohio Judicial Conference, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, local courts and other partners to ensure that the disbursement of funds from the historic settlement with opioid manufacturers is done efficiently and with the greatest possible benefit to those Ohioans who have been affected by the opioid pandemic.
Granting Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit to Ohio attorneys who volunteer to help at a local drug court or treatment facility.
The Supreme Court’s Specialized Docket Section recently released a guide outlining best practices for Ohio courts to combat the opioid crisis. The resource offers strategies for how courts can assist individuals dealing with addiction. Having founded a drug court in Franklin County still in operation today, I will strengthen the courts' roles in helping communities combat addiction and the crime often associated with it.
What factors are considered in granting and setting bail amounts for defendants? What do you believe is the primary consideration?
It depends on the basis on which bail is granted. If there is a financial condition, the recent decision of DuBose v. McGuffey https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2022/2022-Ohio-8.pdf, the condition should be based on the risk of nonappearance. The Ohio Supreme Court in DuBose v. McGuffey clarified that Ohio Criminal Rule 46 distinguishes between the financial conditions of release and other conditions of release and requires the financial conditions to relate to the risk of nonappearance. If the State or a judge feels a defendant must be confined for the safety of the community prior to conviction, the proper method is not to select an unreasonably high bail and capitalize on the defendant’s poverty, but to proceed through the channels delineated by R.C. 2937.222.
Do you believe that all citizens have adequate access to legal help and the legal system? If not, what can be done to provide wider and better access?
No. I support the efforts of the Access to Justice Foundation, founded in 1994 as the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation and located in Columbus. The foundation is a statewide, nonprofit organization committed to "ensuring that civil legal aid is available to all low-income Ohioans." The Foundation’s board "is composed of appointees from the Ohio Supreme Court, the executive branch and legislative branch leadership, and leaders from bar associations, law schools and community leaders from around the state. At its core, the Foundation funds lawyers who change lives. The Foundation achieves its mission through the distribution of financial resources generated by the Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts (IOLTA) and Interest on Trust Accounts (IOTA) programs; the monies collected through a civil filing fee surcharge; and by raising additional dollars for civil legal aid. In addition to providing critical dollars to fund civil legal aid throughout Ohio, the Foundation funds Justice for All Fellowships, supports pro bono efforts and Access to Justice initiatives. As a funder, the Foundation also provides oversight to ensure the highest quality of civil legal aid work is being performed around the state."
Do you commit to using a union bug on all print materials?
Yes