Posted on 04/03/2010 7:01:18 PM PDT by combat_boots
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer died unexpectedly Friday at age 70, the Supreme Court of Ohio has announced.
Hes survived by his wife, Mary, and their children.
The Chief Justice had been experiencing health problems, but they were not thought to be life threatening, a media release from the Supreme Court of Ohio stated.
He was admitted to Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus late Thursday morning. He was pronounced dead at approximately 4 p.m. Friday.
Moyer held the distinction of being the longest-serving state chief justice in the U.S. He's also a noted Ohioan.
(Excerpt) Read more at abc6onyourside.com ...
Sigh....
We aren’t all stupid. Obama’s popularity has probably sunk in Ohio more than any other state. At least my state never produced LBJ, one of the most evil men to ever walk the Earth.
Agreed.
Make that 3 of us (waiting for pulse to normalize).
Ted Prickland will enjoy sticking it to Ohioans with a rat activist judge since he’s about to lose his job to a strong fiscal conservative pub.
Pubs are a bunch of pussies. They won’t bother to make that argument even though the rats would hammer on it day in and day out until they managed to convince a few voters that pubs are inherently unfair. No payoff at the immediate moment for them, but very possibly in November.
Particularly in a swing state 7 months before an election.
Cordray OKs ballot measure against health care reform
BY CHRIS RIZO
Richard Cordray (D)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline)-Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray last week signed off on petition language that would bar federal health care coverage mandates from taking effect in the state.
The petition is being sought by the Ohio Liberty Council, a coalition of 25 conservative and libertarian grassroots groups, including many Ohio Tea Party organizations.
With the attorney general’s declaration that their ballot summary is fair and accurate, the petition language now goes to the Ohio Ballot Board for final approval.
If approved, the group will need to collect more than 400,000 valid signatures from registered Ohio voters to get their measure on the statewide ballot. To get on the November general election ballot, signatures would have to be filed with the Ohio secretary of state’s office by mid-July.
The constitutional amendment proposed by the Ohio Liberty Council would prohibit any law or that forces individuals or employers to buy health insurance or levies a fine against those that choose not to do so.
Under the federal health care overhaul signed this month by President Barack Obama, beginning in 2014, individuals who flout the mandate face an annual penalty of $695, while employers could face penalties of $2,000 per worker for not offering affordable health coverage.
Cordray was urged to reject the petition language by the liberal Universal Health Care Action Network. It called the group’s ballot language deceptive.
“The petition language does not state or imply the real purpose of the ballot language: for Ohio to exempt itself from participating in national health reform,” the group said in a statement.
FReeper LS is an Ohioan
Ping
I think we may be getting ready to lose our chief justice in Va. He was too ill to swear in our new governor in January. He missed 6 weeks of work in the fall. He does not travel much. At 55, look at how he looked last May compared to last week,
to
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-tnTuRVXuEc/S6ukIRmYyRI/AAAAAAAAANc/b2gVvSFGeOA/s1600/Picture+001.jpg
My hubby works at the supreme court. Cheif Moyer went in the hospital wed or thurs for some kind of surgery (he thinks)went into a coma. Said he was looking very tired and run down but he never complained. Hubby said he was a real decent man. He treated everyone very nice, hubby was shocked when he got the call that he had died,
Ping the Ohio List.
God rest his soul
and
May God save Ohio.
Under Article 4, Section 2 of the Ohio Constitution, as the most senior Justice of the Court, Justice Pfeifer will serve as the acting Chief Justice. The Governor may elect to make an appointment under the provisions of Article 4, Section 13.
Justice Pfeifer conferred with fellow Justices and Court administrators Saturday to determine a course for hearing and deciding cases and attending to the administrative duties of the office.
Chief Justice Moyer was on the bench right up to the end, hearing oral arguments on Wednesday before entering the hospital on Thursday, Justice Pfeifer said. More than anything, he would want us to see to the continuity of operations at this institution he dedicated his life to serving for the people of Ohio.
Discussions with the family regarding funeral arrangements continued Saturday, and details will be released soon.
Meanwhile, leaders from across Ohio and the nation continued on Saturday to offer reflections on the life and career of an extraordinary man whose impact on the judicial system in Ohio and beyond will be felt for decades.
When he became Chief Justice, he not only brought great integrity to the bench, but he ushered in an era of forward-thinking reforms, said Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton. He was one of the countrys first champions of drug courts. He was a champion of technology in the judicial system with the development of the Ohio Courts Network. He was a tireless champion of arbitration and mediation. He was nationally respected as an innovative leader who always sought to not just administer justice but to improve the administration of justice.
Justice Maureen OConnor reflected on the Chiefs legendary temperament. You cant say this about many people, but he was truly a gentleman. It took a keg of dynamite to rile him up. He was very slow to anger. And because of that, he was a leader.
Governor Ted Strickland recalled that Chief Justice Moyer swore him in as governor in 2007, which he said was the beginning of a warm and close working relationship the kind of mutually respectful relationship you always envision leaders of different branches of government having. But that was Tom: dignified, respectful, thoughtful and always concerned for the well-being of others. It was never about him. Tom unselfishly served the people of Ohio for so many years. I know he was very much looking forward to his retirement, but he loved what he did. In recent years, he was a leader and a partner in Ohios bipartisan efforts to fight foreclosure and to take a serious and comprehensive look at corrections reform. He spoke passionately and convincingly for reducing the influence of money in judicial elections.
Statements from the other current Justices, former Justices and other leaders are available here.
Chief Justice Moyer was the longest-serving current Chief Justice in the United States. He was first elected in 1986 and took office in 1987. He was re-elected three times, in 1992, 1998 and 2004.
Under his leadership, Ohio became a leader in providing substance-abuse treatment to nonviolent offenders and the development of family courts, a comprehensive approach to resolving criminal and civil issues confronting families.
As chairman of the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission, Chief Justice Moyer led efforts to revise Ohio felony, misdemeanor, traffic and juvenile sentencing laws adopted by the General Assembly.
Chief Justice Moyer also worked with lawyers and judges in other countries in the development of independent judiciaries. After Ukraine gained its independence, he led efforts to introduce that country to the importance of the rule of law and continues to host delegations from Ukraine on a regular basis. Chief Justice Moyer also worked with judicial leaders in China, Argentina and Chile.
The Chief Justice received his law degree from The Ohio State University in 1964, and served eight years as a judge of the 10th District Court of Appeals in Franklin County, four years as executive assistant to the governor of Ohio and eight years in the private practice of law in Columbus.
Chief Justice Moyer served as vice-chair of the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center (ASTAR), a national consortium to prepare judges for managing the resolution of disputes that present complex science issues. He also chaired the Task Force on Politics and Judicial Selection for the Conference of Chief Justices and co-chaired its Committee on Emergency Preparedness in the Courts.
He served on the Board of Justice at Stake, a national organization that supports fair and impartial courts. In 2009, he also was appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Sandra Day OConnor Judicial Selection Initiative.
In 1987, at the 300th Ohio State University commencement, he was recognized as one of 40 outstanding alumni. In August 2009, Chief Justice Moyer delivered the commencement address to about 1,900 graduates at Ohio State’s summer quarter commencement.
In June 1989, the Chief Justice received the American Judicature Society Herbert Harley Award for improving the administration of justice in Ohio. In August 1995, he was named president of the Conference of Chief Justices for a one-year term. In January 2003, he was awarded the James F. Henry Award for exemplary alternative dispute resolution leadership in the state judiciary from the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution. In addition, the National Client Protection Organization recognized Chief Justice Moyer with its 2008 Isaac Hecht Law Client Protection Award, given for demonstrated excellence in the field of law-client protection.
Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger had this to say: The Chief could laugh and joke and make every person feel special no matter what position the person held. He was interested in the well-being of all, and we were privileged to serve at the Supreme Court with him. In my 25 years as a judge, he was my Chief, and I will miss him.
http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/PIO/news/2010/chiefmoyerobit_040310.asp
RIP.
Amen.
You aint kidding!
Holy Toledo!(pun?) I really can use an adult beverage after reading that headline too fast!
Prayers for his family. And for Ohio.
Like others on here...I saw the headline in the sidebar and immediately thought it was Justice Clarence Thomas....my heart is still racing.
Not that this is any better news...however...
“At least my state never produced LBJ”
Ouch! That left a mark!
OTOH Texas (despite the recent Obama Cult claims] didn’t give us the worse SOB ever elected to the presidency in US history. New Jersey did - haven’t you ever heard of Woodrow Wilson?
Of course New Jersey’s dubious honor is under severe challenge as we speak.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.