The seven justices on Ohio's highest court have the final word on legal appeals. They serve six-year terms.
THE CANDIDATES:
Maureen O'Connor, 57, has a wealth of experience in a variety of important positions. She has been Summit Court prosecutor, a Common Pleas judge, Ohio's lieutenant governor and the state's public safety director. A Republican, O'Connor is seeking her second Supreme Court term.
Joseph D. Russo, 46, was elected to the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas bench in 2000 and re-elected in 2006. He is a member of the Ohio Judicial Conference Ethics and Professionalism Committee and an adjunct professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
OUR VIEW:
Russo has thoughtful ideas about curbing campaign contributions' potential influence on the court's decision-making. His ability and temperament leave little doubt that he would be a good justice. O'Connor has been a pleasant surprise on the court. She has been an outspoken advocate for more transparency and has often brought an important voice of reason and moderation to a court whose members are all Republicans. She has earned re-election.
Two thoughts.
ReplyDelete1. To say that Russo has the "ability" is a complete joke. His docket is higher than anyone else's on the common pleas court (he has double the amount of cases than the judges at the top). I guess that's what happens when you're on the golf course all the time.
2. For those who care about private property rights, O'Connor was the author of Norwood, which was the Ohio Supreme Court's anti-Kelo decision. That decision alone merits re-election.