The Judicial Oath of Office and New Justices

Did you know that a judge or justice is required to take an oath of office before they begin  to serve? The oath of office states:

“I, (name), do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Ohio, will administer justice without respect to persons, and will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all of the duties incumbent upon me as (name of office) according to the best of my ability and understanding.”

According to the Ohio Revised Code, justices of the Supreme Court take the oath of office before the first date of their official term.  Ohio judges from all other courts, on the other hand, may take the oath of office on the first date of their official term.  All judges and justices must to sign a judicial oath, which is then filed with the clerk of court.

But what you may not know is that there may be a separate ceremony before the public administration of a judge's oath. And the private ceremony may actually be the official occasion. For example, because a justice must be sworn in by a currently sitting justice, Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor will administer the oath to William O'Neill on December 27 in Cleveland. Afterwards, former Justice Alice Resnick will swear him in before a public audience. And even though he takes the oath on that day, his six-year term of office does not begin until the clock strikes midnight on January 2, 2013.

 

In contrast, when a justice is appointed mid-term, as was former Justice Yvette McGee Brown, in 2010, her opponent, Sharon Kennedy, who won the general election, automatically became a justice as soon as the votes were certified.  Justice Kennedy’s term expires in two years and to receive a full term she would run again in 2014.  Justice Evelyn Stratton is retiring at the end of the year before her term expires, and so her successor, who will be named by the governor, must also run for a full six-year term in 2014.

And so, the Supreme Court of Ohio will begin 2013 with three new justices.

 

Buckeye Girls State Welcomes Court Majority

The four women who are justices of the Supreme Court of Ohio will speak to 125 girls who are juniors in high school at the 66th session of Buckeye Girls State. Every year, girls from across Ohio attend this week-long program designed to educate them about the duties, privileges, rights and responsibilities of good citizenship, which this year will be hosted by the University of Mount Union in Alliance.

Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor is the first woman to hold the chief justice position in Ohio history. Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton just announced she will retire at the end of the year and has served as a justice since 1996. I am in my second term on the court, although I have been a judge since 1985. And when Justice Yvette McGee Brown joined the Ohio Supreme Court in January 2011, the women outnumbered the men on the Supreme Court for only the third time in the court’s history.

In an hour session each of us will speak briefly about the Power of One and how one person can make a difference and answer questions about our life experiences. We look forward to meeting these fine students.

Inspired by Rosa Parks Day, the justices spoke of the Power of One at an event in December. Watch the video here.

Supreme Court Justices Have Different Backgrounds

Although many people think that justices on the Supreme Court of Ohio have already served as judges, it may surprise you to know that not everyone comes to our court after serving as a judge. Right now, the only requirement for any judgeship – including the Supreme Court – is six years of experience as an attorney.

I’ve been fortunate enough to be the only person ever elected to every level of the court system: the municipal court, common pleas court, appeals court and now the Supreme Court. Nearly all the other justices have also had judicial experience before arriving at our Court. Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, and Justices Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Terrence O’Donnell and Yvette McGee Brown were trial judges. Justices O’Donnell and Robert Cupp were appellate judges.

The non-judicial government experience among us also varies. Chief Justice O’Connor served in the executive branch as lieutenant governor and director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. As a county commissioner Justice Cupp was also part of the executive branch. Justice Paul Pfeifer and Justice Cupp were members of the General Assembly, the legislative branch. This means that Justice Cupp has served in all three branches of government.

As you can see, our backgrounds differ. By combining our varied experiences, we can bring a better perspective to the cases that come before the Court.