Ohio Supreme Court

Ohio Supreme Court
Court Information
Justices: 7
Founded: 1803
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Salary
Associates: $187,805
Judicial Selection
Method: Partisan election
Term: 6 years
Active justices
Jennifer L. Brunner, Pat DeWine, Joseph Deters, Pat Fischer, Dan Hawkins, Sharon L. Kennedy, Megan E. Shanahan

Founded in 1803, the Ohio Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. The current chief of the court is Sharon Kennedy. In 2018, the court decided 2,188 cases.

As of January 2025, there were six Republican and one Democratic judges on the court.

The Ohio Supreme Court meets in the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center in Columbus. The court hears oral arguments on a biweekly basis from September to June.

In Ohio, state supreme court justices are elected in partisan elections. There are eight states that use this selection method. To read more about the partisan election of judges, click here.

Jurisdiction

The Ohio Supreme Court is the court of last resort in the state. It has appellate jurisdiction in cases regarding the state or national constitution, cases of great public or general interest, cases originating in the courts of appeals, relating to conflicting opinions in the appellate courts, and involving the death penalty. It may also review certain administrative agencies, including the Ohio Public Utilities Commission and the Board of Tax Appeals.

The court has original jurisdiction for certain special remedies, including habeas corpus, mandamus, procedendo, prohibition (writ), and quo warranto. The court may also accept an appeal involving a contested election. The state constitution grants the supreme court jurisdiction to regulate admission into the practice of law and to discipline attorneys. It gives the court authority to prescribe rules and procedures for all the courts of the state. Procedural rules are effective unless both houses of the state legislature pass a concurrent resolution of disapproval.

The chief justice, or a designee, is responsible for ruling regarding a disqualification of an appellate or common pleas court judge.

The following text from Article IV, Section 2 of the Ohio Constitution covers the organization and jurisdiction of the court:

“	Organization and Jurisdiction of Supreme Court (A) The Supreme Court shall, until otherwise provided by law, consist of seven judges, who shall be known as the chief justice and justices. In case of the absence or disability of the chief justice, the judge having the period of longest total service upon the court shall be the acting chief justice. If any member of the court shall be unable, by reason of illness, disability or disqualification, to hear, consider and decide a cause or causes, the chief justice or the acting chief justice may direct any judge of any court of appeals to sit with the judges of the Supreme Court in the place and stead of the absent judge. A majority of the Supreme Court shall be necessary to constitute a quorum or to render a judgment. (B)(1) The Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction in the following: (a) Quo warranto; (b) Mandamus; (c) Habeas corpus; (d) Prohibition; (e) Procedendo; (f) In any cause on review as may be necessary to its complete determination; (g) Admission to the practice of law, the discipline of persons so admitted, and all other matters relating to the practice of law. (2) The Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction as follows: (a) In appeals from the courts of appeals as a matter of right in the following: (i) Cases originating in the courts of appeals; (ii) Cases in which the death penalty has been affirmed; (iii) Cases involving questions arising under the constitution of the United States or of this state. (b) In appeals from the courts of appeals in cases of felony on leave first obtained. (c) In direct appeals fron the courts of common pleas or other courts of record inferior to the court of appeals as a matter of right in cases in which the death penalty has been imposed. (d) Such revisory jurisdiction of the proceedings of administrative officers or agencies as may be conferred by law; (e) In cases of public or great general interest, the Supreme Court may direct any court of appeals to certify its record to the Supreme Court, and may review and affirm, modify, or reverse the judgment of the court of appeals; (f) The Supreme Court shall review and affirm, modify, or reverse the judgment in any case certified by any court of appeals pursuant to section 3(B)(4) of this article. (3) No law shall be passed or rule made whereby any person shall be prevented from invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. (C) The decisions in all cases in the Supreme Court shall be reported together with the reasons therefore.	”
—Ohio Constitution, Article IV, Section 2

Justices

The table below lists the current justices of the Ohio Supreme Court, their political party, and when they assumed office.

Office	Name	Party	Date assumed office
Ohio Supreme Court	Jennifer L. Brunner	Democratic	January 2, 2021
Ohio Supreme Court	Pat DeWine	Republican	January 2, 2017
Ohio Supreme Court	Joseph Deters	Republican	January 2, 2025
Ohio Supreme Court	Pat Fischer	Republican	January 1, 2017
Ohio Supreme Court	Dan Hawkins	Republican	December 10, 2024
Ohio Supreme Court	Megan E. Shanahan	Republican	January 1, 2025
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice	Sharon L. Kennedy	Republican	January 1, 2023

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Ohio

The seven justices of the Ohio Supreme Court are selected through partisan primaries and partisan general elections. Previously, these judges were selected through partisan primaries and nonpartisan general elections, known as the Michigan method.

All judges serve six-year terms, after which they are required to run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court.

Qualifications

To serve on the Ohio Supreme Court, a judge must:

• have at least six years in the practice of law;
• be licensed to practice law in the state for at least one year preceding appointment or commencement of the judge's term;
• a judge of a court of record in any jurisdiction in the U.S.; and
• be under the age of 70.

Chief justice

The chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court is chosen by voters at large, serving a full six-year term in that capacity.

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement. The appointee serves until the next general election taking place 40 or more days after the vacancy occurred. If re-elected, the judge serves the remainder of his or her predecessor's unexpired term.

In 2007, Governor Ted Strickland (D) issued an executive order creating a judicial appointment recommendation panel to assist in making new appointments. The panel evaluates applicants and advises the governor, but the governor is not bound to the panel's recommendations. A similar system was established in 1972 under Governor Jack Gilligan (D), but it was abolished by Governor James A. Rhodes (R) three years later.

The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.

Stewart's seat: term commencing January 2, 2025

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Joseph Deters defeated incumbent Melody Stewart in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Deters (R)	55.2	2,942,136
		Melody Stewart (D)	44.8	2,389,408

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 5,331,544
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Melody Stewart advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Melody Stewart	100.0	459,539

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 459,539
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Joseph Deters advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Deters	100.0	835,968

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 835,968
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Deters' seat: unexpired term ending December 31, 2026

General election

Special general election for Ohio Supreme Court

Dan Hawkins defeated Lisa Forbes in the special general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dan Hawkins (R)	55.1	2,943,297
		Lisa Forbes (D)	44.9	2,401,109

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 5,344,406
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Lisa Forbes defeated Terri Jamison in the special Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lisa Forbes	63.8	310,635
		Terri Jamison	36.2	175,965

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 486,600
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Dan Hawkins advanced from the special Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dan Hawkins	100.0	810,411

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 810,411
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2022

See also: Ohio Supreme Court elections, 2022

Candidates and results

Chief Judge

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice

Incumbent Sharon L. Kennedy defeated incumbent Jennifer L. Brunner in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sharon L. Kennedy (R)	56.1	2,307,415
		Jennifer L. Brunner (D)	43.9	1,807,133

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,114,548
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice

Incumbent Jennifer L. Brunner advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer L. Brunner	100.0	445,711

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 445,711
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice

Incumbent Sharon L. Kennedy advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sharon L. Kennedy	100.0	814,717

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 814,717
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Fischer's seat

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Pat Fischer defeated Terri Jamison in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pat Fischer (R)	56.9	2,330,575
		Terri Jamison (D)	43.1	1,764,845

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,095,420
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Terri Jamison advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Terri Jamison	100.0	418,525

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 418,525
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Pat Fischer advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pat Fischer	100.0	788,538

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 788,538
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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DeWine's seat

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Pat DeWine defeated Marilyn Zayas in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pat DeWine (R)	56.3	2,306,428
		Marilyn Zayas (D)	43.7	1,789,384

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,095,812
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Marilyn Zayas advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Marilyn Zayas	100.0	406,732

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 406,732
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Pat DeWine advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pat DeWine	100.0	719,162

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 719,162
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Justices not on the ballot

• Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor (R)

2020

See also: Ohio Supreme Court elections, 2020

Candidates and election results

French's seat

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Jennifer L. Brunner defeated incumbent Judith French in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer L. Brunner (Nonpartisan)	55.3	2,695,072
		Judith French (Nonpartisan)	44.7	2,174,820

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,869,892
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Jennifer L. Brunner advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer L. Brunner	100.0	675,231

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 675,231
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Judith French advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Judith French	100.0	618,739

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 618,739
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Kennedy's seat

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Sharon L. Kennedy defeated John P. O'Donnell in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sharon L. Kennedy (Nonpartisan)	55.1	2,735,041
		John P. O'Donnell (Nonpartisan)	44.9	2,231,724

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,966,765
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

John P. O'Donnell advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John P. O'Donnell	100.0	659,196

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 659,196
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Sharon L. Kennedy advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sharon L. Kennedy	100.0	637,255

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 637,255
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2018

See also: Ohio Supreme Court elections, 2018

Candidates and results

O'Donnell vacancy

General election

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael P. Donnelly (D)	61.0	2,170,227
		Craig Baldwin (R)	39.0	1,385,435

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,555,662
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Primary election
■ Michael P. Donnelly
■ Craig Baldwin

DeGenaro's Seat

General election

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Melody Stewart (D)	52.6	1,853,418
		Mary DeGenaro (R)	47.4	1,667,258

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,520,676
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Primary election
■ Mary DeGenaro (Incumbent)
■ Melody J. Stewart

Justices not on the ballot

• Terrence O'Donnell (R)

2016

See also: Ohio Supreme Court elections, 2016

November 8 general election

Incumbent Maureen O'Connor (Ohio) ran unopposed in the general election for the Ohio Supreme Court, O'Connor's seat.

Ohio Supreme Court, O'Connor's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Maureen O'Connor (Ohio) Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	3,562,413
Total Votes (100% reporting)				3,562,413
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Pat Fischer defeated John P. O'Donnell in the general election for the Ohio Supreme Court, Lanziger's seat.

Ohio Supreme Court, Lanziger's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Pat Fischer	50.28%	2,044,984
	Democratic	John P. O'Donnell	49.72%	2,022,514
Total Votes (100% reporting)				4,067,498
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Pat DeWine defeated Cynthia Rice in the general election for the Ohio Supreme Court, Pfeiffer's seat.

Ohio Supreme Court, Pfeifer's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Pat DeWine	56.31%	2,438,641
	Democratic	Cynthia Rice	43.69%	1,892,450
Total Votes (100% reporting)				4,331,091
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

March 15 primary election

Ohio Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor's Seat Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Maureen O'Connor Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	1,353,231
Total Votes				1,353,231
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Lazinger's Seat Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Pat Fischer	54.26%	761,771
	Republican	Colleen O'Toole	45.74%	642,048
Total Votes				1,403,819
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Lazinger's Seat Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John P. O'Donnell  (unopposed)	100.00%	776,945
Total Votes				776,945
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Pfiefer's Seat Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Pat DeWine  (unopposed)	100.00%	1,336,648
Total Votes				1,336,648
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Pfiefer's Seat Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Cynthia Rice  (unopposed)	100.00%	807,997
Total Votes				807,997
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

2014

Term commencing 1/1/15

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Primary Vote	Election Vote
LetsonTom Letson	Yes	Democratic	100%A	27.5%   D
KennedySharon L. KennedyA	Yes	Republican	100%A	72.5%   A

Term commencing 1/2/15

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Primary Vote	Election Vote
O'DonnellJohn P. O'Donnell	No	Democratic	100%A
FrenchJudith FrenchA	Yes	Republican	100%A	55.9%   A

• Election history, 2008-2012 (click to expand)

  See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2012

  Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Term	Primary Vote	Election Vote
  SkindellMike Skindell	No	Democratic	Term commencing 1/1/2013		30.87%   A
  CuppRobert Cupp	Yes	Republican	Term commencing 1/2/2013		47.48%   A
  KennedySharon L. Kennedy   A	No	Republican			57.02%   A
  O'DonnellTerrence O'Donnell (Ohio)   A	Yes	Republican			69.12%   A
  O'NeillWilliam O'Neill (Ohio)   A	No	Democratic		71.3%A	52.51%   A
  McGee BrownYvette McGee Brown	Yes	Democratic			42.97%   A

  
  

  See also: 2010 State Supreme Court elections

  Incumbent Eric Brown faced challenger Maureen O'Connor and was defeated.

  Ohio Supreme Court 2010 General election results
  Candidates		Votes	Percent
  Maureen O'Connor		n/a	67.8%
  Eric Brown		n/a	n/a

  Incumbent Judith Ann Lanzinger faced challenger Mary Jane Trapp and won.

  Ohio Supreme Court 2010 General election results
  Candidates		Votes	Percent
  Judith Ann Lanzinger		n/a	56.9%
  Mary Jane Trapp		n/a	n/a

  Paul Pfeifer ran uncontested and was elected.

  Ohio Supreme Court 2010 General election results
  Candidates		Votes	Percent
  Paul Pfeifer		n/a	n/a

  See also: State Supreme Court elections, 2008

  Incumbent Maureen O'Connor defeated challenger Joseph D. Russo.

  Ohio Supreme Court 2008 General election results
  Candidates		Votes	Percent
  Maureen O'Connor		n/a	67%
  Joseph D. Russo		n/a	44%

  Incumbent Evelyn L. Stratton defeated challenger Peter M. Sikora.

  Ohio Supreme Court 2008 General election results
  Candidates		Votes	Percent
  Evelyn L. Stratton		n/a	63%
  Peter M. Sikora		n/a	37%

Caseloads

The table below details the number of cases filed with the court and the number of dispositions the court reached annually.

Ohio Supreme Court caseload data
Year	Filings	Dispositions
2023	1,650	1,787
2022	1,653	1,547
2021	1,607	1,532
2020	1,592	1,797
2019	1,820	1,686
2018	1,858	2,188
2017	1,828	1,776
2016	1,914	2,019
2015	2,107	2,256
2014	2,255	1,958
2013	2,055	2,040
2012	2,187	2,171
2011	2,207	2,263
2010	2,293	2,245
2009	2,363	2,485
2008	2,506	2,542

Analysis

Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters (2021)

See also: Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters

In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: Determiners and Dissenters, a study on how state supreme court justices decided the cases that came before them. Our goal was to determine which justices ruled together most often, which frequently dissented, and which courts featured the most unanimous or contentious decisions.

The study tracked the position taken by each state supreme court justice in every case they decided in 2020, then tallied the number of times the justices on the court ruled together. We identified the following types of justices:

• We considered two justices opinion partners if they frequently concurred or dissented together throughout the year.
• We considered justices a dissenting minority if they frequently opposed decisions together as a -1 minority.
• We considered a group of justices a determining majority if they frequently determined cases by a +1 majority throughout the year.
• We considered a justice a lone dissenter if he or she frequently dissented alone in cases throughout the year.

Summary of cases decided in 2020

• Number of justices: 7
• Number of cases: 436
• Percentage of cases with a unanimous ruling: 67.2% (293)
• Justice most often writing the majority opinion: Justice Maureen O'Connor (32)
• Per curiam decisions: 280
• Concurring opinions: 66
• Justice with most concurring opinions: Justice Sharon Kennedy (18)
• Dissenting opinions: 83
• Justice with most dissenting opinions: Justice Michael Donnelly (26)

For the study's full set of findings in Ohio, click here.

Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship (2020)

See also: Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship

Last updated: June 15, 2020

In 2020, Ballotpedia published Ballotpedia Courts: State Partisanship, a study examining the partisan affiliation of all state supreme court justices in the country as of June 15, 2020.

The study presented Confidence Scores that represented our confidence in each justice's degree of partisan affiliation, based on a variety of factors. This was not a measure of where a justice fell on the political or ideological spectrum, but rather a measure of how much confidence we had that a justice was or had been affiliated with a political party. To arrive at confidence scores we analyzed each justice's past partisan activity by collecting data on campaign finance, past political positions, party registration history, as well as other factors. The five categories of Confidence Scores were:

• Strong Democrat
• Mild Democrat
• Indeterminate
• Mild Republican
• Strong Republican

We used the Confidence Scores of each justice to develop a Court Balance Score, which attempted to show the balance among justices with Democratic, Republican, and Indeterminate Confidence Scores on a court. Courts with higher positive Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Republican Confidence Scores, while courts with lower negative Court Balance Scores included justices with higher Democratic Confidence Scores. Courts closest to zero either had justices with conflicting partisanship or justices with Indeterminate Confidence Scores.

Ohio had a Court Balance Score of 7.14, indicating Republican control of the court. In total, the study found that there were 15 states with Democrat-controlled courts, 27 states with Republican-controlled courts, and eight states with Split courts. The map below shows the court balance score of each state.

Bonica and Woodruff campaign finance scores (2012)

See also: Bonica and Woodruff campaign finance scores of state supreme court justices, 2012

In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan outlook of state supreme court justices in their paper, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns." A score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology while scores below 0 were more liberal. The state Supreme Court of Ohio was given a campaign finance score (CFscore), which was calculated for judges in October 2012. At that time, Ohio received a score of 0.62. Based on the justices selected, Ohio was the 7th most conservative court. The study was based on data from campaign contributions by judges themselves, the partisan leaning of contributors to the judges, or—in the absence of elections—the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice but rather an academic gauge of various factors.

Ethics

The Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Ohio. It consists of four overarching canons:

• Canon 1: A judge shall uphold and promote the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.
• Canon 2: A judge shall perform the duties of judicial office impartially, competently, and diligently.
• Canon 3: A judge shall conduct the judge’s personal and extrajudicial activities so as to minimize the risk of conflict with the obligations of judicial office.
• Canon 4: A judge or judicial candidate shall not engage in political or campaign activity that is inconsistent with the independence, integrity, or impartiality of the judiciary.

The full text of the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of judges

Judges in Ohio may be removed in one of three ways:

• Retirement, removal or suspension by a special Supreme Court commission.
• Removal by a concurrent resolution of two-thirds of the members of both houses of the Ohio General Assembly.
• Conviction by a two-thirds vote of the Ohio Senate, upon impeachment by a majority vote of the Ohio House of Representatives.

Noteworthy cases

Neiman v. LaRose

Note: This case was also known as Huffman v. Neiman when Ohio State Senate President Matt Huffman appealed the Ohio Supreme Court's decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

On March 21, the National Redistricting Action Fund filed a lawsuit before the Ohio Supreme Court on behalf of several Ohio residents, including two who were previously involved in other congressional redistricting lawsuits during the 2020 redistricting cycle, challenging the congressional map approved by the Ohio Redistricting Commission on March 2. In the suit, the plaintiffs said the map "bears a striking resemblance to the plan struck down by the Court on January 14, and is again infused with partisan bias. It is an extreme partisan outlier again. It eschews sensible, compact districts that respect Ohio’s political geography precisely because doing so would not result in extreme partisan advantage at odds with Ohio’s voting patterns." The plaintiffs requested the court invalidate the March 2 congressional map, delay election-related deadlines and the congressional primary, and that the court choose a new map or order the General Assembly to adopt a new congressional map. On March 29, 2022, the court set a schedule for this case in which it expected to review the congressional map after the May 3 primaries.

On July 19, 2022, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision that the congressional district boundaries that the Ohio Redistricting Commission adopted on March 2, 2022, were unconstitutional. The 2022 congressional elections took place using the boundaries the redistricting commission adopted in March 2022 since primary elections were held using those districts on May 3, 2022. Since the congressional district boundaries that the commission enacted did not have support from members of the minority party, the boundaries were in effect for only four years with the commission required to enact a new map after the 2024 elections. The state supreme court's order directed the Ohio General Assembly to pass a compliant plan within 30 days, and if the general assembly fails to do so, the court required that the redistricting commission adopt such a plan within an additional 30 days.

Justices Maureen O'Connor, Michael P. Donnelly, and Melody Stewart signed the court's majority opinion and Justice Jennifer L. Brunner filed a concurring opinion. Justices Sharon L. Kennedy, Pat DeWine, and Pat Fischer wrote or joined dissenting opinions.

In its decision, the court's opinion stated, "Petitioners have satisfied their burden by showing beyond a reasonable doubt that the March 2 plan unduly favors the Republican Party in violation of Article XIX, Section 1(C)(3)(a) of the Ohio Constitution. Comparative analyses and other metrics show that the March 2 plan allocates voters in ways that unnecessarily favor the Republican Party by packing Democratic voters into a few dense Democratic-leaning districts, thereby increasing the Republican vote share of the remaining districts. As a result, districts that would otherwise be strongly Democratic-leaning are now competitive or Republican-leaning districts."

The dissenting opinion signed by Justices Kennedy and DeWine said, "We disagree, however, with the majority’s conclusion that the March 2 plan is invalid because it violates Article XIX, Section 1(C)(3)(a) of the Ohio constitution for “ ‘unduly favor[ing] or disfavor[ing] a political party or its incumbents.’...Therefore, we would hold that the March 2 plan is constitutional and order its use for the 2024 primary and general elections. Because the majority does otherwise, we dissent."

History of the court

Ohio Supreme Court building in Columbus, Ohio

Ohio was a part of the Northwest Territory from 1787-1803, along with parts of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The government structure of the Northwest Territory included a governor and three judges in a supreme court, all appointed by the U.S. president. The three judges also constituted the legislature under the 1787 Northwest Ordinance until the population grew to 5,000 free adult male inhabitants in 1799, when an elected legislature was implemented. The court's seat was in Marietta, Ohio. A general circuit court was also established for the territory, where the supreme court justices acted as judges, with one and three judges present. The circuit court met in Marietta in October, Cincinnati in March, and in Detroit, Vincennes, and Kaskaskia when a judge was able to travel to the locations. The territorial supreme court had original and appellate jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases and could reverse or revise decisions by lower courts. The Supreme Court of the United States did not have jurisdiction to review its decisions.

Ohio's first constitution, approved by Congress in 1802, one year before statehood, established a three-judge supreme court and a court of common pleas. Judges were appointed by the Ohio General Assembly. They were also circuit court judges and required to ride horseback across the large state to hold circuit court. The constitution required the judges to hold a session of the supreme court in every county in the state each year. In 1834, judges rode over 2,000 miles on horseback annually. They were usually accompanied by members of the bar, who came to present cases to the court. In 1808, a fourth judge was added to the supreme court and the state was divided into two circuit districts, requiring two judges to travel the circuit in each district.

A new Ohio Constitution was passed in 1851 and is still in effect today. It provides for a supreme court, district courts, common pleas courts, probate courts, and justices of the peace. It also authorized the supreme court to create other lower courts as needed. The constitution increased the number of justices on the supreme court to five elected justices, and it took away most of the court's original jurisdiction, except in the case of a special Writ. The state was divided into nine judicial district circuits and one supreme court judge was assigned to each district, along with two common pleas judges. The district courts were required to hold sessions in at least three places in each district yearly after the supreme court session in Columbus.

In 1883, the Ohio Court Organization, Amendment 1 (October 1883) was passed, doing away with the district courts and establishing instead a new circuit court system for intermediate appellate and review purposes. It would have three elected circuit court judges, thus relieving the supreme court justices of the duty to ride the circuit.

A series of Ohio 1912 ballot measures modified the supreme court further by giving the supreme court original jurisdiction over administrative agencies; and appellate review of the court of appeals, in cases involving constitutional questions, and cases of public and general interest. The court of appeals was made the court of last resort in all measures that could not go before the supreme court. The amendments also took jurisdictional control from the state legislature. They set the number of judges on the supreme court to six associate judges and one chief justice, where it remains today.

In 1968, associate judges became known as justices by the Ohio Operation of the Judicial System Amendment (May 1968).

Notable firsts

• Maureen O'Connor became the first woman to serve as chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court when she was elected to the position by voters in the 2010 judicial election.
• Robert Duncan, appointed in 1969, was the first Black justice to serve on the Ohio Supreme Court.
• Florence Ellinwood Allen became the first woman to serve on a court of last resort in the United States when she was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court in 1922.

Courts in Ohio

See also: Courts in Ohio

In Ohio, there are two federal district courts, a state supreme court, twelve state courts of appeals, and trial courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.

Click a link for information about that court type.

• Federal courts
• State supreme court
• State court of appeals
• Trial courts

The image below depicts the flow of cases through Ohio's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.

The structure of Ohio's state court system.

Party control of Ohio state government

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. A state supreme court plays a role in the checks and balances system of a state government.

Ohio has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

Ohio Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

See also

External links

• The Supreme Court of Ohio & The Ohio Judicial System

Footnotes