Thursday, February 26, 2009

Ohio's ACLU report card

Evaluating Juvenile Justice in Ohio: A Report Card

Waiver of Counsel: Incomplete
Shackling of Juveniles: F
Juvenile Transfers: C-
Rates of Juvenile Detention and Committment: C
Disproportionate Minority Confinement: Incomplete

When law and economic policy collide

I was hoping the budget journalization case in Lake County would be decided by the Supreme Court of Ohio. It is an interesting question of law that really should be played out to a decision. Who gets to decide? Taken to the extreme...could a court journalize a budget that results in the slashing of budgets for other county departments (to the point that other services can not be offered at all)?

But this particular case won't see the Supreme Court because it was settled due to the economic atmosphere that breeds comments like those found at the end of the online posting of that article. Feel lucky you have a job rather than expect to be paid for the true value of what you do. Don't ya just love recession thinking?

Thursday, October 23, 2008

More election research

Ashtabula County

Election research

Judge4Yourself.com

Judge4Yourself.com is a service of the Judicial Candidates Rating Coalition (JCRC), an umbrella organization that includes Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, The Cuyahoga Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, The Norman S. Minor Bar Association, and The Ohio Women's Bar Association.

Members of the organizations that make up JCRC are a diverse group of men and women, including lawyers and non-lawyers. Some practice solo or in a small group; others work for large firms, local companies or government. Some of us represent only individuals. Others usually work with businesses. We and our clients have many different perspectives and views, but there is one thing on which we agree - we want highly qualified, fair and respectful judges on our courts.

To bring you ratings of the candidates for judicial office, about 50 to 60 of us set aside several days each year to review the candidates’ qualifications, interview the candidates, and share experiences representing clients before judges who are running for the same or a new position. Each organization separately chooses a rating that expresses, in one word, its evaluation of each candidate’s professional competence, integrity, work ethic and temperament.

On the November 2008 ballot, Cuyahoga County voters will vote for judges for five different courts: the Court of Common Pleas General Division, the Domestic Relations Court, the Probate Court, the Court of Appeals and the Ohio Supreme Court. Before you vote, review our ratings and the information about each candidate available by link to his or her name on the candidate grid.

The election of judges and the decisions they make can have profound consequences for us, our families, our businesses and our community. Learn more here, and choose well.

We rate the judicial candidates...so you can judge for yourself.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008