Litigation

OH Judges Duel with Election Complaints

By Peter Hardin

There is a case of dueling judges in Ohio: Two judges squaring off in a political campaign also are sparring with complaints to the Ohio Elections Commission, according to the Columbus News-Herald.

Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Eugene A. Lucci is try to oust 11th District Court of Appeals Judge Colleen Mary O?Toole in a Republican primary.

Judge Lucci contends in a complaint that Judge O’Toole misrepresented her qualifications, didn’t describe correctly a case that Judge Lucci had handled and has a dramatically higher reversal rate with the Ohio Supreme Court than she has stated.

Judge O’Toole’s campaign committee head rejected the allegations and denounced the “attack.”  The campaign filed a complaint against Judge Lucci. It said a letter mailed to voters had false statements about Judge O’Toole’s knowledge of the law and “perverted the numbers” about her affirmation rate at the state Supreme Court.

You can learn more about the increasing politicization of judicial campaigns, and increased negative campaigning, from Justice at Stake’s issues page on the topic.

Full post as published by The Gavel on March 22, 2010 (boomark / email).