Ohio Supreme Court Associate Justice
What does an Ohio Supreme Court Associate Justice do?
Ohio Supreme Court Justices sit deliberate and make decisions regarding cases brought before the court. There are six justices and one chief justice, they hear about 80 cases a year according to their website. A justices responsibilities include hearing cases, Those running to be a justice must have at least 6 years of law experience and be under the age of 70 years old. Justices serve six-year terms.
Incumbent Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Fischer and Judge Terri Jamison are running for the first Ohio Supreme Court Justice seat.
TERRI JAMISON (D)
Judge Terri Jamison sits on the Ohio 10th District Court of Appeals. Her past experience includes being a judge on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas from 2013 to 2021 and being an attorney for seven years. For 15 years, she worked as an insurance agent for Allstate Insurance. Jamison received her law degree from Capital University Law School, where she has been an adjunct professor. Jamison aims to revive public faith in the legal system. She believes everyone should have equal access to the court system, strives to eliminate burdensome costs and ensure access to competent legal counsel.
PAT FISCHER (R)
Pat Fischer was elected as an associate justice of the Ohio Supreme Court in 2016. He has previously served as a judge for the Ohio First District Court of Appeals in 2010, president of the Cincinnati Bar Association in 2006, and as an attorney in both plaintiff and defense cases. He is an alum of Harvard Law School and a resident of Pleasant Ridge, Ohio. Fischer is a staunch opponent of substantive due process and endorses an originalist view of the Constitution.
Incumbent Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine and Judge Marilyn Zayas are running for the second Supreme Court seat.
MARILYN ZAYAS (D)
Judge Marilyn Zayas currently serves on the Ohio First District Court of Appeals, a spot she’s held since 2016. According to Vote411, she is also a judge by special assignment at the Ohio Supreme Court and the Second, Sixth, Tenth and Eighth District Court of Appeals. She was also a commissioner on the Ohio Supreme Court Board on Character and Fitness from December 2018 to February 2022. Zayas is from New York City, she received her bachelor's degree from The City College of New York in 1987, then graduated from law school at the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1997. She is the first Latina to be elected to an Ohio appellate court. If elected, Zayas wants to make the court more accessible and accountable to the public, improve resources to prevent wrongful convictions and expand student programs.
PAT DEWINE (R)
Justice Pat DeWine served as a judge on the First District Court of Appeals in Cincinnati from March 2013 to January 2017. He also was on the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas from January 2009 to March 2013. DeWine was also a Cincinnati City councilmember. DeWine grew up in the Cincinnati area. He received a bachelor's degree from Miami University and graduated from the University of Michigan’s law school. DeWine is also the son of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. DeWine’s legal philosophy is that the law should be applied as written. If re-elected, DeWine wants to provide safer communities, protect the rule of law and keep a stable legal environment.