Ohio workers’ comp CEO nominated for federal bench

WASHINGTON — Ohio’s senators both praised President Donald Trump’s nomination Tuesday of Sarah Daggett Morrison to serve as a federal District Court judge in Columbus.

Republican Sen. Rob Portman and Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown both recommended Morrison to the White House last year. Morrison currently is the administrator and chief executive officer of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

Portman said Morrison “enjoys widespread support because of her significant experience in both the public and private sectors,” a reference to her years with the state government and as a partner in the Columbus office of the Morrison law firm Taft, Stettinius & Hollister.

Brown called Morrison “a seasoned lawyer and public servant who has what it takes to serve” as a district judge. “She “brings a broad range of legal experience to the table, which will help her tackle the issues she will face as a judge.”

The Senate must confirm Morrison before she can take the bench.

Morrison is a graduate of Ohio State University and earned a law degree at Capital University.

Trump also nominated Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Pamela Barker to be a U.S. District Court judge in Cleveland. Barker earned a degree from Kenyon College and a law degree from Ohio State.

Like all U.S. senators, Portman and Brown have great say over who gets recommended to the White House as judicial nominees.

Last year, Portman and Brown recommended the White House nominate Judge Matt McFarland to a seat on the federal bench in Dayton. McFarland, a member of the Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals, has not yet been nominated by Trump.

Such long delays in the process are not considered unusual while the prospects are being vetted.