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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 Alice Robie Resnick:
: Judges should not be required to raise money for a campaign. Judicial races are generally of little interest to the public. As a result, judges look to lawyers and other groups who have their same philosophy and often these individuals appear before them. Public financing would eliminate the appearance of impropriety.
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.
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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 Terrence O'Donnell:
Generally, I would not become 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.
Answer from Alice Robie Resnick:
A bipartisan committee should be established to eliminate the partisan system presently employed. This is my third statewide campaign and I am convinced that we must all work together to find a better way to choose judges. Politics have no place in our judicial system. Judges must be neutral.
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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.
Ohio Supreme Court Justice: Total words for th answer to the question may not exceed 50 words. The word limit must be observed. Words over the limit will bee cut off in published information.
U.S. Senate: Total words in answer to the question may not exceed 100 words. The word limit must be observeds. Words over the limit will be cut off in published information.
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
