GOP lawmakers push to get O’Neill off court
Ohio Senate Republicans plan to kick-start the process Wednesday of removing Justice William M. O’Neill from the Ohio Supreme Court for violating the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct.
O’Neill has faced a stream of criticism since late October when he decided to run for governor in the Democratic primary but chose to remain on the high court. Ohio's Code of Judicial Conduct states that "upon becoming a candidate in a primary or general election for a nonjudicial elective office, a judge shall resign from judicial office."
O’Neill, who has named a running mate, has argued that he is not officially a candidate until he files his candidacy petition by the Feb. 7 filing deadline. He has said he plans to step down from the court Jan. 26.
“If he follows through on the resignation, this whole thing might be moot by the end of next week,” said Senate President Larry Obhof, R-Medina. “But if he doesn’t, we’ll be halfway through the process and be ready to address what we need to address.”
The Senate is prepared to send its resolution straight to the floor Wednesday, starting a process where, if the House also approves it, O’Neill would be called in to defend himself before a special joint committee.
Following that hearing, a two-thirds majority in each chamber could remove the justice. The GOP has large enough majorities to make that happen.
O’Neill again said he plans to leave the court at the end of next week.
“We have so many serious issues facing the state of Ohio, I can't believe they're wasting taxpayer money on this. I'm leaving in 10 days,” he told The Dispatch.
“Apparently, they're upset about me talking about for-profit prisons, legalizing marijuana and fighting opioids,” O'Neill said, listing some of his campaign issues.
O’Neill said if legislators proceed to try to remove him, he will take advantage of his opportunity to speak.
"I look forward to delivering a Douglas MacArthur-esque speech," he said, referring to the general's 1951 speech to Congress after President Harry Truman removed him for insubordination.
In the House on Tuesday, Rep. Niraj Antani, R-Miamisburg, also introduced a resolution calling for the removal of O’Neill, whom he says has “shaken the public's trust, compromised the independence of the judiciary and betrayed the voters who elected him as a non-partisan jurist.”
Antani urged leaders to vote quickly, but Brad Miller, spokesman for House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, said the House is not expected to act this week.
“It’s something that needs to be done because the last three months sends the wrong message about whether people have to follow the judicial cannons or not,” Obhof said. “The message needs to be yes, there are rules in place, and if you routinely break them and flaunt them for three months, sooner or later somebody is going to take action.”
Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko, D-New Richmond, questioned the point of the vote.
“I don’t understand why the Senate would undertake this unprecedented action when Justice O’Neil has announced he’s resigning next week,” he said.