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Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues
The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Ohio and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Campaign finance,
Appointment of Justices,
Backlogs on lower courts
Click on a name for other candidate information.
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1. Would you support public financing for judicial candidates? Why or why not?
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Answer from Terrence O'Donnell:
Ohio tax laws currently provide for Ohio income tax credits for contributions to Ohio Supreme Court candidates. As a Supreme Court Justice, I would be willing to consider expanding this form of public support and to further study the issue. I believe that some of the most important qualifications for a Justice of the Supreme Court are previous judicial experience and a history of respect for the law and all those who appear before the court.
Answer from Alice Robie Resnick:
Yes, our form of government depends upon an independent judiciary free to make decisions uninfluenced by others. With our present system of direct election of judges that independence is being put into question when judges are forced to raise money in order to run for office.
The best way is for voters to talk to people who know the judicial candidates. Often that will be the voters' lawyer. Information can also be obtained from political parties, pamphlets and on the Web. My web site is http://www.justiceresnick.org which contains information about my background and qualifications.
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2. Would you support a voluntary system in which the Governor would appoint Justices to fill vacancies from a pool of qualified applicants selected by a bipartisan group? Why or why not?
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Answer from Alice Robie Resnick:
No, such a method is simply taking the choice out of the hands of the people and placing it in the hands of one person. The better appointive process would be for the bipartisan group to make the actual appointment. Bipartisan appointment would eliminate politics from the process
Answer from Terrence O'Donnell:
As a Justice of the Supreme Court, I would be involved in the process of filling judicial vacancies; however, any procedural changes would have to comport with the Ohio Constitution and applicable statutes. The Canons of Judicial Ethics require judges to refrain from engaging in political activity.
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3. What do you see as your role on the Supreme Court in reducing the backlogs on lower courts?
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Answer from Terrence O'Donnell:
To reduce court backlogs, the role of the supreme court justice would include providing assistance to the trial and appellate judges as needed, monitoring individual judicial reports in an effort to establish judicial accountability, and to work with the Chief Justice in discharging his responsibilities in this regard.
Answer from Alice Robie Resnick:
Lower courts are required to file statistical reports concerning their dockets with the Supreme Court. I believe these reports should be closely examined and judges who consistently have a large backlog should be required to explain the reason and should be required to administer justice in a more efficient manner
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League, but formatted for Web display.
Candidates' statements are presented as
submitted. Word limits for answers are 100 words for each question.
Direct references to opponents are not permitted
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
