Poll picks top Municipal Court judges
Daniel R. Hawkins and H. William Pollitt are the top judges on the Franklin County Municipal Court bench, according to a poll of lawyers released last week by the Columbus Bar Association.
Courts Reporter John Futty reports that the judicialperformance poll is conducted during odd-numbered years for the 15 Municipal Court judges who handle traffic and misdemeanor cases and lawsuits involving disputes up to $15,000.
Lawyers were asked to rate the judges on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) in categories such as judicial temperament and legal knowledge.
Hawkins and Pollitt each received an overall score of 4.5, according to the poll of 400 attorneys.
They were followed, in order, by Judges Paul M. Herbert (4.4), Mark A. Hummer (4.4), Jodi Thomas (4.3), David B. Tyack (4.2), Ted Barrows (4.1), James E. Green (3.8), Cindi Morehart (3.8), Michael T. Brandt (3.7), James P. O’Grady (3.7), Andrea C. Peeples (3.7), Eileen Y. Paley (3.3), Cynthia L. Ebner (2.8) and Amy Salerno (2.6).
Critics of the poll complain that a small percentage of the thousands of licensed lawyers in Franklin County participate. The bar association responds that lawyers are instructed to vote only on judges that they have appeared before in the past two years.
Case closer to trial
The stage appears to be set for Franklin County’s first death-penalty trial in three years.
Lincoln S. Rutledge, 45, accused of fatally shooting Columbus police officer Steven Smith during a SWAT standoff in April 2016, isn’t interested in pleading guilty, one of his defense attorneys said at a Monday hearing in Common Pleas Court.
Futty reports that Rutledge’s trial is to begin June 12 after a week of jury selection. Selecting a jury is a lengthy process in a death-penalty case because everyone seated on the jury must have an open mind about recommending a death sentence if they return a conviction.
Judge Mark Serrott had set Monday as the deadline for Rutledge to indicate whether he was willing to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life without parole. Even if he expressed interest, prosecutors would consult with police and the victim’s family to decide whether to extend such an offer.
“It is his preference to proceed to trial,” defense attorney Jefferson Liston told the judge.
The county’s last deathpenalty trial was in March 2014, when Daniel Teitelbaum was convicted in the shooting death of his business partner. Common Pleas Judge Charles Schneider imposed a sentence of life without parole, which was recommended by the jury.