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Maureen O'Connor

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For the California politician, see Maureen O'Connor (California politician). For the American journalist, see Maureen O'Connor (journalist).

Maureen O'Connor
Maureen O'Connor in 2012
Maureen O'Connor in 2012
Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court
In office
January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2022
Preceded byEric Brown
Succeeded bySharon L. Kennedy
Associate Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court
In office
January 1, 2003 – December 31, 2010
Preceded byAndrew Douglas
Succeeded byYvette McGee Brown
61st Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
In office
January 11, 1999 – December 31, 2002
GovernorBob Taft
Preceded byNancy Hollister
Succeeded byJennette Bradley
Personal details
Born (1951-08-07) August 7, 1951 (age 73)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationSeton Hill University (BA)
Cleveland State University (JD)

Maureen O'Connor (born August 7, 1951) is an American lawyer and judge who served as the chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from 2011 to 2022. She was elected to the court in 2002, becoming chief justice in 2010.[1][2] She was the first woman to lead the Ohio Supreme Court[3][2][4][5] and the longest serving woman elected statewide in Ohio's History.[4][5][6]

Prior to this, O'Connor served as an associate justice of the Ohio Supreme Court and as the 61st lieutenant governor of Ohio, serving under Governor Bob Taft. She is a Republican.[7]

Education and experience

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O'Connor earned a bachelor's degree at Seton Hill University, Greensburg, Pennsylvania in 1973 and a Juris Doctor degree at the Cleveland State University College of Law in 1980.[2][8] In 1981, O'Connor began practicing law in Summit County, Ohio.[2] In 1985, she was appointed a magistrate of the Summit County Probate Court.[2] She was then elected as a judge of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, serving on the bench from 1993 to 1995.[2] In 1994, she was elected to the office of Summit County prosecutor and served in that office from 1995 to 1999. O'Connor received "The Cleveland State University Distinguished Alumnae Award for Civic Achievement" in 1997.

Service as Ohio Lieutenant Governor

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In 1998, O'Connor was selected by Bob Taft to be his running mate for the November election.[9] The ticket was victorious and O'Connor was elected Ohio's 61st lieutenant governor serving in that office from 1999 until she resigned at the end of 2002. [2][8][10]

Ohio Supreme Court tenure

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In 2002, O'Connor ran for and was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court, defeating Democrat Timothy Black.[2] She began serving in 2003. She was reelected in 2008 with 67.14% of the vote against Democrat Joseph Russo. O'Connor defeated Chief Justice Eric Brown in the 2010 general election with 67.59% of the vote. Brown had been appointed chief justice by Gov. Ted Strickland in May 2010 after the death of Thomas J. Moyer. She is the sixth woman to have served as an Ohio Supreme Court justice and is the first woman to hold the post of chief justice.[3][2][4][5]

For the 2016 election, the Democratic Party did not field a candidate to run against O'Connor.[11]

She was described as an "independent voice" on the Ohio Supreme Court.[7] She dissented on a ruling that upheld the forced closure of the last abortion clinic in Toledo, Ohio; she has expressed support for criminal justice reform; and called for less partisan influence in how judges are selected in Ohio.[1]

In 2022, O'Connor was the deciding vote in a ruling that struck down a heavily pro-Republican gerrymandered redistricting map.[7][10] She criticized how Republicans abused the redistricting process.[1] After her vote, Ohio Republicans called for impeaching her.[7][1] O'Connor retired in 2023 as she was unable to run for another term.[4]

After her retirement, O'Connor joined the campaign of Citizens Not Politicians Ohio, which placed an unsuccessful amendment on the 2024 ballot to replace the Ohio Redistricting Commission with an independent citizens' redistricting commission.[12][13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "The Republican judge blocking her party from rigging electoral districts". the Guardian. April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "'If they can do it, I can do it': Meet USA TODAY's Women of the Year honoree from Ohio". www.dispatch.com. March 19, 2023. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Maureen O'Connor » Supreme Court of Ohio". www.supremecourt.ohio.gov. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Ingles, Jo (January 3, 2023). "Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor retires after making history". WCBE 90.5 FM. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Juvenile Court Honors Retired Chief Justice". www.courtnewsohio.gov. March 22, 2023. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  6. ^ "Retired Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor ramps up efforts for redistricting reform in 2024". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d BeMiller, Haley; Balmert, Jessie; Bischoff, Laura A. "Ohio Republicans discussing impeachment of Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor after map ruling". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor on Becoming a Republican Heretic". Columbus Monthly. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  9. ^ Benton, James C. (February 13, 1998). "O'Connor takes statewide step". The Akron Beacon Journal. p. 32. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  10. ^ a b "The Most Powerful Woman In Ohio Couldn't Fix This One Big Problem". HuffPost. January 18, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  11. ^ "Election Results 2016". Ohio Secretary of State. Archived from the original on July 13, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  12. ^ Trau, Morgan (August 21, 2023). "Former Ohio Chief Justice continues fight against gerrymandered maps". Ohio Capital Journal. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  13. ^ "Former chief justice accuses 'politicians' of 'lying' in Issue 1 ad". Toledo Blade. October 1, 2024. Archived from the original on November 2, 2024. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
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Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
1998 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
1999–2002 		Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by Associate Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court
2003–2010 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court
2011–2022 		Succeeded by
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