Litle Endorsements: Supreme Court Edition ... All are invited A Wednesday Night Two-Fer ... hrm. Awkward. None endorsed, sadly. A Litle disappointment, disappointing to even himself and his pocketbook. I have to be totally honest about this race. I was completely poised to endorse Justice Judi French and Justice Sharon Kennedy for Ohio Supreme Court. Theyre both currently sitting on the Court, and Judi French was a good appellate Judge and a basically sweet person. Ive met her and I have been impressed with her. Justice Kennedy is an accomplished political jurist whose judgment I trust in promoting a conservative interpretation of legislation and an appropriate respect for Ohios Constitution and her role in the judiciary. Honest revelation: I have donated to both Justices campaigns. Recent events, however, have made it impossible for me to give them an endorsement. The truth is, I will still vote for them. Each is running against a laughable candidate, totally unqualified for assumption of a post in Ohios Supreme Court. There is absolutely no question about that FACT. One of the other candidates is shamelessly running on name recognition alone. While it will be an embarrassment to Ohio voters if they vote for that candidate, it will also serve as a suitable rebuke to the Ohio Republican party who chose to make a dynasty name out of a name for the benefit of unqualified children. This is true even though I agree with the Republican partys general outlook. The other opposing candidate is simply unqualified. Being unqualified, however, has nothing to do with being an Ohio Supreme Court Justice, as was demonstrated when the Ohio Electorate voted in 2013 for a man whom I personally tried a case against, and who believed that his own clients statements were hearsay when I attempted to (nay, rightfully succeeded in my efforts to) introduce them. True Story. Hashtag First Day Of Evidence Class. Hashtag LawyerJoke. Id laugh, but I ran into similar problems dealing with the progeny of other justices. I digress. Heres what changed an endorse-able race - indeed a race with enthusiastic endorsement - into one where I can make no endorsement: Disciplinary Counsel v. Owen. Attached will be the opinion on this case. Jim Owen is a defense attorney. I wont go into his long record of disreputable behavior. Im going to concentrate on a single event and its aftermath. 14 years ago he represented a despicable murderer. A man who brutally murdered family members. The case went to trial and his client was convicted, as he should have been, for being a brutal murderer dirtbag. Unbeknownst to everyone involved in the case, however, Jim Owen was boning the defendants wife throughout the case. No rational, reasonable, honest person could ever believe that the defendant - a brutal, despicable, disgusting, piece-of-shit murderer - got a fair trial due to those facts. Its simply not possible. When your lawyer is f**king your wife, hes not concentrating on your interests. Period. Upon revelation of Jim Owens dastardly deeds, his clients conviction was overturned and as you might imagine, due to 14 years passing and the fact that senior law enforcement is assigned to brutal murder cases, there was not enough evidence and remaining, living, witnesses, to re-try the defendant. We live in a society where we accept such evils because it is better to have a horrific individual like that murderer walking among us than it is to spend ones life in prison because ones attorney was F**KING ones wife. Im a prosecutor, but thats the truth, and not only do I accept that outcome, I F**KING love it. I sleep like a baby not only because I do what I know to be right, but because I trust that defense attorneys will test the evidence in my case with true fidelity to their clients. People know that I give offers their clients dont like; but they also know I dismiss cases where the evidence isnt there rather than demanding face-saving reductions in pleas. Jim Owens behavior and its consequences are forever unforgivable in a system that values both truth and the pursuit of justice. If all things were equal, the appropriate sentence for Owen would be to serve his clients sentence in prison ... as an exchange for the conviction his errant phallus precluded. I cannot endorse Judges French and Kennedy as I had intended because both Justices signed off on a one-year suspension of Jim Owens right to practice law after his admission to sleeping with his clients wife during his clients trial, resulting in his murderous client walking free. Attorneys lose their licenses for many reasons. Almost all the time its for financial mismanagement. Jim Owen actively undermined the administration of justice in its most important purpose - delivering justice to those who kill innocent civilians. He should never practice law in this or any other State again. The fact that Justices French and Kennedy could not see this truth precludes my ability to endorse them in this race, but does not undermine the truth of their opponents lack of qualifications. Please do as you choose in this election. The respect the public has for attorneys as being involved in a self-regulating profession is dependent upon serious violations being taken seriously. This was a serious event and the Justices failed to take it seriously. I believe it to be highly shameful for my entire profession.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 03:33:14 +0000
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