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Ohio Chief Justice O’Connor approves 500 or miles of travel for Visiting Retired Judges
The Ohio Supreme Court Rules for “Factors in Selecting Judges for Assignment,” states in relevant part:
(D) The proximity of the judge to the court making the request. Whenever feasible, a judge from a nearby county should be assigned in order to economize on travel time as well as to eliminate or minimize overnight expenses.
It is patently clear from the facts set forth in Table A below, that Chief Justice O’Connor is not only contemptuous of her duty to follow the Rules but displays a truly cavalier attitude regarding the unnecessary mileage costs that are being foisted upon and paid by the affected county taxpayers and/or state taxpayers when the travel involves an appellate court assignment.
It is quite disconcerting that Chief Justice O’Connor finds it acceptable to have retired judges who are between 75 to 80 years to repeatedly spend nearly 7 hours traveling over 500 miles pursuant to her assignments.
Table A states the roundtrip mileage per trip, the mileage payments paid to the retired assigned judge, and the earning (per diem) paid on an hourly basis for time spent traveling to and from the assignment court.
Table A
|
Judge
|
HomeCounty
Court
|
Far Away
Assignment
|
Roundtrip
Mileage
|
Roundtrip
Travel Time
|
Mileage costs
@ $.057
|
Per Diem at
$74 an hr.
|
|
Pat DeWine
|
1st Appeal Cincinnati
|
7th District Youngstown
|
558 miles
|
3hrs. 52 minutes
|
$318.06
|
$592.00
|
|
Patrick Fischer
|
1st Appeal Cincinnati
|
7th District Youngstown
|
558 miles
|
3hrs. 52 minutes
|
$318.06
|
$592.00
|
|
Patrick Dinkelacker
|
1st Appeal Cincinnati
|
8th District Cleveland
|
498 miles
|
3hrs. 27 minutes
|
$283.86
|
$518.00
|
|
Patrick Fischer
|
1st Appeal Cincinnati
|
8th District Cleveland
|
498 miles
|
3hrs. 27 minutes
|
$283.86
|
$518.00
|
|
Larry Moore
|
KetteringMuni
|
WarrenCounty
|
494 miles
|
3hrs. 40 minutes
|
$281.58
|
$518.00
|
|
David D’Apolito
|
7th District Youngstown
|
2nd District Dayton
|
484 miles
|
3hrs. 27 minutes
|
$275.88
|
$518.00
|
|
Cheryl Waite
|
7th District Youngstown
|
2nd District Dayton
|
484 miles
|
3hrs. 27 minutes
|
$275.88
|
$518.00
|
|
Matthew McFarland
|
4th Appeal Portsmouth
|
5th Appeal Canton
|
452 miles
|
3hrs. 33 minutes
|
$257.64
|
$518.00
|
|
Michael Hess
|
4th Appeal Chillicothe
|
7th District Youngstown
|
442 miles
|
3hrs. 30 minutes
|
$251.94
|
$518.00
|
|
Jason Smith
|
4th Appeal Chillicothe
|
7th District Youngstown
|
442 miles
|
3hrs. 30 minutes
|
$251.94
|
$518.00
|
|
Mary DeGenaro
|
6th Appeal Youngstown
|
4th Chillicothe
|
440 miles
|
3hrs. 19 minutes
|
$250.80
|
$518.00
|
|
Linton Lewis
|
GuernseyCounty
|
LucasCounty
|
436 miles
|
3hrs. 5 minutes
|
$236.91
|
$444.00
|
|
James Rapp
|
HardinCounty
|
JeffersonCounty
|
430 miles
|
3hrs. 16 minutes
|
$245.10
|
$518.00
|
|
Stephen Shaw
|
3rd Appeal Lima
|
7th District Youngstown
|
406 miles
|
3hrs. 10 minutes
|
$231.42
|
$481.00
|
|
William Zimmerman
|
3rd Appeal Lima
|
7th District Youngstown
|
406 miles
|
3hrs. 10 minutes
|
$231.42
|
$481.00
|
|
Candace Crouse
|
1st Appeal Cinci
|
6th Appeal Toledo
|
404 miles
|
2hrs. 50 minutes
|
$230.28
|
$444.00
|
|
Patrick Dinkelacker
|
HamiltonCounty
|
6th Appeal Toledo
|
404 miles
|
2hrs. 11 minutes
|
$230.28
|
$333.00
|
|
Francis Gorman
|
ToledoMuni
|
1st Appeal Cinci
|
404 miles
|
2hrs. 50 minutes
|
$230.28
|
$444.00
|
|
Francis Gorman
|
ToledoMuni
|
HamiltonCounty
|
404 miles
|
2hrs. 50 minutes
|
$230.28
|
$444.00
|
|
Peter Handwork
|
6th Appeal Toledo
|
1st Appeal Cinci
|
404 miles
|
2hrs. 50 minutes
|
$230.28
|
$444.00
|
|
John Crouse
|
1st Appeal Cinci
|
6th Appeal Toledo
|
404 miles
|
2hrs. 50 minutes
|
$230.28
|
$444.00
|
|
Marilyn Zayas
|
1st Appeal Cinci
|
6th Appeal Toledo
|
404 miles
|
2hrs. 50 minutes
|
$230.28
|
$444.00
|
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