Chief Justice selects Democrat to hear lawsuit against GOP

[Algorem]

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1121402755221990.xml&storylist=cleveland

7/15/2005, 1:42 a.m. ET
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Chief Justice Thomas Moyer has selected a retired Democratic judge to hear a lawsuit alleging corruption by the Republican Party.

Moyer on Thursday selected Joseph Kainrad, who retired in January from the Portage County Common Pleas Court, to handle the lawsuit filed in August by Cuyahoga County Commissioner Timothy Hagan. Hagan was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2002.

Hagan's lawsuit accuses Gov. Bob Taft, other elected Republicans and the Ohio GOP of instituting a "pay-to-profit" system in which millions of dollars were raised by trading unbid state contracts for campaign contributions.

Kainrad, 72, was selected after Moyer disqualified all 34 judges on the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Moyer disqualified those judges — all but three of whom are Democrats — over the objection of the court's chief judge, Republican Richard McMonagle...



Chief justice disqualifies entire Cuyahoga County court

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_fullstory.asp?id=37848

POSTED: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 9:22:37 AM
UPDATED: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 9:22:42 AM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- All 34 judges on the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court have been disqualified by Ohio’s chief justice from hearing a lawsuit alleging corruption by the Republican party.

Chief Justice Thomas Moyer said yesterday the unusual move is necessary to eliminate any perception of bias by the court system that’s dominated by Democrats. Moyer is a Republican.


Moyer said he will appoint a retired visiting judge from outside

Cuyahoga County to the case Moyer ruled in a lawsuit filed in August of last year by Cuyahoga County Commissioner Timothy Hagan, the 2002 Democratic nominee for governor...

[MeDeMax]

1. thnx for the link ...n/t

[BQueen]

2. Too bad Moyer didn't apply such lofty ethical standards to himself

during the 2004 election litigation. His conflict was so apparent it was embarrassing.

The reason given for disqualification (that Hagan and other Dem commissioners "partly" control the courts' budget) seems a pretty thin reed to me, and certainly impugns the dignity of those judges by saying they'd throw a case based on whether the county commissioners will approve an extra court reporter, etc.