Questionnaire Responses

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OHIO SUPREME COURT, TERM COMMENCING 1/2/2025

Candidate Name as it appears on the ballot:

Occupation:

Website (if applicable):

Education:

Work Experience:

Judicial Experience (courts and years):

What non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

Ohio Supreme Court Justice

Melody J. Stewart

B.M. (Bachelor of Music) – University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music; J.D. (Juris Doctor)(Patricia Roberts Harris Fellow) – Cleveland State University College of Law; Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)(Mandel Leadership Fellow) – Case Western Reserve University, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences; Honorary Doctorate – Cleveland State University.

  • Justice – Supreme Court of Ohio;

  • Judge – Ohio Court of Appeals (Eighth District);

  • Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid – Cleveland State University College of Law;

  • Director of Student Services/Director of Academic Enrichment Program – Case Western Reserve University School of Law;

  • Adjunct Faculty – Ursuline College;

  • Visiting Assistant Professor of Law – University of Toledo College of Law;

  • Visiting Assistant Professor of Law – Cleveland State University College of Law;

  • Assistant Dean for Student Affairs –Cleveland State University College of Law;

  • Adjunct Faculty – Cleveland State University College of Law;

  • Assistant Law Director – Cities of Cleveland and East Cleveland

  • Justice on the Supreme Court of Ohio– 2019 to present (5+ years);

  • Judge on the Ohio Court of Appeals – 2006 to 2018 (12 years).

Prior to being elected and re-elected to the Court of Appeals and then being elected to the Supreme Court – serving 17 years writing law, I had a varied legal career practicing law and teaching law. I practiced law primarily as a civil defense litigator in state and federal courts and worked in several capacities in legal and higher education for a combined 16 years. I served in multiple administrative capacities and taught courses in ethics and professional responsibility; criminal law; criminal procedure; and legal research, writing, and advocacy. In my doctoral studies, I was able to explore the intersection of law and social science – researching and writing in the areas of elder law and caregiving, and juvenile delinquency to name a couple areas of study. This prior non-judicial experience helps me to ask the right questions of lawyers and litigants, colleagues and court staff , and of myself before deciding a case. My non-judicial background has also served me well with recognizing the complexities and nuances of cases that come before us and serves as a reminder to always judge the case, not the parties.

I ran for the Supreme Court to rebuild public faith in the judicial system and to serve as an independent, impartial Justice Ohioans could trust to uphold the Constitution and ensure that every person received equal treatment under the law.

I am seeking reelection to improve our justice system. The need for a strong, independent voice like mine on a court that has become increasingly politicized is greater than ever.

To combat the belief that the justice system is fundamentally unfair, I’ll continue collaborating with judges, prosecutors, attorneys, elected officials, and community leaders to support the adoption of policies that will:

  • Promote the use of data to assure equity in sentencing

  • Combat wrongful convictions

  • Close Ohio’s justice gap

  • Eliminate backroom, false, and dark plea agreements

  • Make Ohio’s courts more transparent, equitable, accountable, and efficient

Along with leading the reform movement during my first term, I profoundly influenced the most meaningful cases to come before the court in decades. My independent votes and opinions, including dissents that highlighted issues of law misconstrued or ignored by my colleagues, played a critical role in:

  • Defending democracy

  • Preserving the right to vote on the Reproductive Freedom Amendment

  • Ending a multi-million-dollar First Energy surcharge

  • Strengthening labor rights

My allegiance to the Constitution and the people who expect and deserve nothing less than independence and equal justice under law rather than partisan politics or ideology will continue to guide my work.

Joseph T. Deters

Justice, Ohio Supreme Court

B.A.; University of Cincinnati; J.D.; University of Cincinnati College of Law

1982-1988; Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor;

1988-1992; Hamilton County Clerk of Courts;

1992-1998 and 2005-2023; Hamilton County Prosecutor;

1999-2004; Treasurer, State of Ohio;

2023-present; Justice, Ohio Supreme Court

Ohio Supreme Court, 2023-present

I spent more than 25 years as county prosecutor in a major urban county arguing cases of all types. Over that time, my office and I handled tens of thousands of felony and civil cases in local, state, and federal courts.

I am running for this seat to continue serving the people of Ohio on the Supreme Court for the full term spanning 2025-2030.