A new administrative mandate introduced by Ohio’s Chief Justice has been a source of tension among the state’s judiciary. The mandate, pushed by Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy in her first year in office, alters the process by which a visiting judge can be called to appear. The text of the mandate requires that a permanently-seated judge first solicit all their sitting colleagues to see if any can take on the case, before they can make a direct request for a visiting judge.
This change in practice has frustrated members of the legal community in Ohio and beyond, sparking mistrust towards the Chief Justice’s administration and her managerial decisions. Distrust is further fueled by the resistance to directly request visiting judges, who can step in when the regular judge has a conflict or is overwhelmed with their caseload.
In response to the criticism, the Kennedy administration has defended the order, stating that these procedures have always been codified since the late 1980s, but have only begun to be enforced explicitly in the current year. Nevertheless, requests for outside help in Cuyahoga County have tangibly decreased in 2023, suggesting that the implementation is having some impact on the judiciary’s operations.
To read more about the ongoing controversy, visit the original article on Bloomberg Law.