Maureen O’Connor
Profiles: Ohio Supreme Court seats up in contested races
Two seats on the Ohio Supreme Court are up in November’s election. The six-year terms on the state’s highest court are held by two longtime incumbents, and contested by two judicial veterans with experience vying for seats on the court or governmental positions. French v. Brunner Judith French French has been a justice with the […]
Bar exam postponed amid pandemic, prolonging uncertainty for aspiring lawyers
The Ohio Supreme Court announced last week that the Ohio Bar Examination — the compulsory test to be licensed to practice law — will be postponed until early October and will be conducted online. The exam, which was taken by nearly 900 aspiring lawyers last summer, was originally scheduled for July 28-29, but was postponed to Sept. […]
Ohio Supreme Court rules courts don’t have to consider ability to pay when imposing fees
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a split 5-2 decision that courts do not have to consider a defendant’s present or future ability to pay court fees when deciding whether such costs are applicable, overturning an appellate judge’s earlier ruling. The case stems from a complaint filed by Darren Taylor who was convicted of […]
Amid other challenges, Medicaid department conducting massive overhaul
The Ohio Department of Medicaid is working on a complete revamp of the lion’s share of the $27 billion program amid complaints that it hasn’t made much progress on much smaller tasks. The department is working to “reprocure” the services of the managed-care companies that represent more than 90% of Ohioans receiving benefits from Medicaid […]
Ohio needs a systemic, statewide approach to keep incarcerated people safe from COVID-19
A recent Great Lakes poll shows that 80% of Ohioans approve of the job Gov. Mike DeWine is doing during the coronavirus pandemic. Large majorities support school closings, limits on public gatherings, and other measures the state has taken. What’s missing from DeWine’s response is a focus on the risks facing our incarcerated neighbors and […]