Whitespace is like air: it is necessary for design to breathe
“What’s a jury to think if the judge is acting in this way and there’s no objection?”
Chief Justice O’Connor, to counsel for West
“You’re not saying that we can never notice structural error without an objection, are you?”
Justice Brunner, to the assistant county prosecutor
On June 30, 2021, the Supreme Court of Ohio…
“Because R.C. 109.78(D) and R.C. 2923.122(D)(1)(a) are unambiguous and do not conflict with each other, we must apply both statues as written unless and until the General Assembly directs otherwise by legislative action.”
Chief Justice O’Connor, majority opinion
“To reach its conclusion, the majority finds it necessary to forsake a plain reading of [R.C. 109.78(D)].
On April 26, 2022, the Supreme Court of Ohio handed down a merit decision in this case. Read the analysis here.
“In all the cases you are talking about, name one case where the public official has been held liable or responsible who had no control over the funds.”
Justice Stewart, to the Deputy Solicitor…
Update: On December 22, 2021 the Supreme Court of Ohio handed down a merit decision in this case. In an opinion written by Justice Donnelly, joined in full by Chief Justice O’Connor and Justice Fischer, the Court held that the arrest warrant at issue sufficiently complied with Crim R. 4 even with the absence of…
Update: On December 22, 2021 the Supreme Court of Ohio handed down a merit decision in this case. In an opinion written by Justice Donnelly, joined in full by Chief Justice O’Connor and Justice Fischer, the Court held that the arrest warrant at issue sufficiently complied with Crim R. 4 even with the absence of…
Update: On September 16, 2021, the Supreme Court of Ohio handed down a merit decision in this case. Read the analysis here.
“Can you tell me how the content is controlled by this tax?”
Chief Justice O’Connor, to counsel for Lamar
Who is the city targeting? Just stable billboards?
Justice Fischer, to counsel for the…
Update: On September 16, 2021, the Supreme Court of Ohio handed down a merit decision in this case. Read the analysis here.
“Can you tell me how the content is controlled by this tax?”
Chief Justice O’Connor, to counsel for Lamar
Who is the city targeting? Just stable billboards?
Justice Fischer, to counsel for the…
Update: On November 24, 2021, the Supreme Court of Ohio handed down a merit decision in this case. In a 5-2 opinion written by Chief Justice O’Connor, joined by Justices Kennedy, Fischer, DeWine and Stewart, the Court held that the Burrs owed no duty to Snay under the facts of this case. Justice Donnelly dissented…
Update: On November 24, 2021, the Supreme Court of Ohio handed down a merit decision in this case. In a 5-2 opinion written by Chief Justice O’Connor, joined by Justices Kennedy, Fischer, DeWine and Stewart, the Court held that the Burrs owed no duty to Snay under the facts of this case. Justice Donnelly dissented…
On June 30, 2021, the Supreme Court of Ohio will hear oral argument in State of Ohio v. James R. West, 2020-0978. At issue in this case is whether a trial judge’s line of allegedly biased questioning constitutes structural error requiring automatic reversal.
Case Background
On October 2, 2017, James West was in a…
