List of justices of the Ohio Supreme Court explained

Bold indicates chief judge or chief justice. The Ohio Supreme Court was created by the Ohio Constitution of 1802 with three judges, and had three or four through 1851. In 1851, the number of judges was increased to five. In 1892, the number of judges was increased to six. In 1912, the office of chief justice was created and the total number of judges was increased to seven (including the chief justice). In 1968, all the supreme court judges were re-titled as justice.

See also:

Chief justices

Chief judges (1803–1845)

NamePartyTerm
Return Jonathan Meigs Jr.Democratic-Republican1803–1804
Samuel HuntingtonDemocratic-Republican1804–1808
William SpriggDemocratic-Republican1808–1810
Thomas ScottDemocratic-Republican1810–1815
Ethan A. BrownDemocratic-Republican1815–1819
Jessup Nash CouchDemocratic-Republican1819–1821
Calvin PeaseDemocratic-Republican1821–1829
Peter Hitchcock 1829–1833
Joshua Collett 1833–1835
Ebenezer Lane 1835–1845

Chief justices (since 1913)

NamePartyTerm
Hugh L. NicholsDemocratic1913–1920
Carrington T. MarshallRepublican1921–1932
Carl V. WeygandtDemocratic1933–1962
Kingsley A. TaftRepublican1963–1970
C. William O'NeillRepublican1970–1978
Robert E. LeachRepublican1978
Frank D. Celebrezze Sr.Democratic1978–1986
Thomas J. MoyerRepublican1987–2010
Eric BrownDemocratic2010
Maureen O'ConnorRepublican2011–2022
Sharon L. KennedyRepublican2023–

List of justices

denotes incumbent

NameBegan active
service
Ended active
service
Political affiliationAppointed by
18031804Democratic-
Republican
Ohio General Assembly
18031806Democratic-
Republican
Ohio General Assembly
18031808Democratic-
Republican
Ohio General Assembly
18051808Democratic-
Republican
Elected
18061810Democratic-
Republican
Edward Tiffin
18091815Democratic-
Republican
Elected
18091810Democratic-
Republican
Ohio House
18101816JacksonianOhio General Assembly
18101818Democratic-
Republican
Ohio General Assembly
18151821Democratic-
Republican
Thomas Worthington
18161822JacksonianOhio General Assembly
18161830Democratic-
Republican
Ohio General Assembly
1819
1835
1845
1833
1842
1852
Democratic-
Republican
Ohio General Assembly
18211828National Republican PartyEthan Allen Brown
18231829National Republican PartyOhio General Assembly
18291836National Republican PartyOhio General Assembly
18301830DemocraticOhio General Assembly
18301830Jacksonian
18301830Democratic-
Republican
Allen Trimble
18301830National Republican PartyAllen Trimble
18301845National Republican PartyOhio General Assembly
18311835Democratic-
Republican
Ohio General Assembly
18331847Democratic
18361842DemocraticOhio General Assembly
18421849DemocraticOhio General Assembly
18421849DemocraticOhio General Assembly
18471851WhigOhio General Assembly
18491852DemocraticOhio General Assembly
18491854DemocraticOhio General Assembly
1851
1863
1857
1865
DemocraticOhio General Assembly
18521859DemocraticElected
18521854DemocraticElected
18521856DemocraticElected
18541855DemocraticWilliam Medill
18541856DemocraticWilliam Medill
18551859 RepublicanElected
18561856RepublicanElected
18561871RepublicanElected
18561858RepublicanSalmon P. Chase
18561872RepublicanSalmon P. Chase
18581863RepublicanElected
18591864RepublicanElected
18591863RepublicanElected
18631865RepublicanDavid Tod
18641864RepublicanElected
18641883RepublicanJohn Brough
18651875RepublicanElected
18651878RepublicanJohn Brough
18711886RepublicanElected
18721873RepublicanElected
18731874RepublicanEdward Follansbee Noyes
18741877DemocraticWilliam Allen
18751880DemocraticElected
18771881RepublicanElected
18781885DemocraticElected
18801886RepublicanElected
18811883RepublicanElected
18831883RepublicanCharles Foster
18831883RepublicanCharles Foster
18831887DemocraticElected
18831889DemocraticElected
18851885DemocraticGeorge Hoadly
18851912RepublicanElected
18861902RepublicanElected
18861895RepublicanJoseph B. Foraker
18871902RepublicanElected
18891902RepublicanElected
18831904RepublicanElected
18951914RepublicanElected
19001912RepublicanElected
19021912RepublicanElected
19021911RepublicanGeorge K. Nash
19041911RepublicanElected
19111922DemocraticElected
19111919DemocraticElected
19121912DemocraticJudson Harmon
19121914DemocraticElected
19131924Progressive PartyElected
19131919DemocraticElected
19131920DemocraticJames M. Cox
19151937RepublicanElected
19151953RepublicanElected
19191932RepublicanElected
19191920DemocraticJames M. Cox
19201920DemocraticJames M. Cox
19201922RepublicanElected
19211932RepublicanElected
19221922RepublicanHarry L. Davis
19231933RepublicanElected
19231934DemocraticElected
19241924DemocraticVic Donahey
19251933RepublicanElected
19321936DemocraticGeorge White
19331962DemocraticElected
19331934DemocraticGeorge White
1933
1935
1934
1969
DemocraticGeorge White (first term)
19341934DemocraticGeorge White
1934
1934
1934
1957
Republican
19341934DemocraticElected
19341946RepublicanElected
19351940RepublicanElected
19371940DemocraticElected
19371938DemocraticMartin L. Davey
19381939DemocraticElected
19401950RepublicanJohn W. Bricker
19411942RepublicanElected
19421947RepublicanElected
19471948DemocraticFrank Lausche
19471959RepublicanThomas J. Herbert
19491962RepublicanElected
19501950DemocraticFrank Lausche
19501954RepublicanElected
19531954DemocraticFrank Lausche
19541970RepublicanElected
19551962DemocraticElected
19571963RepublicanElected
19591960DemocraticMichael DiSalle
19601978RepublicanElected
19621964DemocraticMichael DiSalle
19631964DemocraticMichael DiSalle
19631968RepublicanElected
19641972RepublicanElected
1964
1973
1968
1981
RepublicanJim Rhodes (first term)
19691971RepublicanJim Rhodes
19691980RepublicanElected
19691976RepublicanJim Rhodes
19701977RepublicanJim Rhodes
19701978RepublicanJim Rhodes
19711973DemocraticJohn J. Gilligan
19721978DemocraticElected
19731984DemocraticElected
19771994DemocraticElected
19771989DemocraticElected
19781982RepublicanJim Rhodes
19801981RepublicanJim Rhodes
19811987DemocraticElected
19811983RepublicanJim Rhodes
19831985DemocraticElected
19852002RepublicanElected
19851996RepublicanElected
19872010RepublicanElected
19871993DemocraticElected
19892007DemocraticElected
19932004DemocraticElected
19932017RepublicanElected
19952003RepublicanElected
19962012RepublicanGeorge Voinovich
20032022RepublicanElected
20032018RepublicanBob Taft
20052016RepublicanElected
20072013RepublicanElected
20102010DemocraticTed Strickland
20112012DemocraticTed Strickland
2012presentRepublicanElected
20132021RepublicanJohn Kasich
20132018DemocraticElected
2017presentRepublicanElected
2017presentRepublicanElected
20182019RepublicanJohn Kasich
2019presentDemocraticElected
2019presentDemocraticElected
2021presentDemocraticElected
2023presentRepublicanMike DeWine

Supreme Court Commission

In 1875, the Constitution of Ohio was amended to provide for the Supreme Court Commission.[1] The amendment reads in part: "A commission, which shall consist of five members, shall be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate, the members of which shall hold office for the term of three years from and after the first day of February, 1876, to dispose of such part of the business then on the dockets of the Supreme Court, as shall, by arrangement between said commission and said court, be transferred to such commission; and said commission shall have like jurisdiction and power in respect to such business as are or may be vested in said court; and the members of said commission shall receive a like compensation for the time being, with the judges of said court."[2]

Commission of 1876

On February 2, 1876, Ohio Governor Rutherford B. Hayes appointed the following six members:[3]

Harrison refused the appointment, and Thomas Q. Ashburn of Clermont County was seated March 16, 1878. The commission sat until February 2, 1879, and "assisted in bringing up the docket which had fallen behind the reasonable time for trial."

Commission of 1883

Governor Charles Foster appointed another commission of four men, which served from April 17, 1883 to April 16, 1885.[3]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. See Article IV, section 21 at Web site: Constitution of the State of Ohio . . 2014-08-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150227002356/http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/publications/election/Constitution.pdf#page=35 . 2015-02-27 . dead .
  2. Amendment called for five members. In 1876, six members were named. In 1883, four were named. Also, amendment called for "...a like commission with like powers, jurisdiction and duties; provided, that the term of any such commission shall not exceed two years, nor shall it be created oftener than once in ten years", though 1883 was not ten years from 1876. Apparently, the amendment is still in force.
  3. Web site: Justices of the Supreme Court of Ohio 1787 – Present . . 2012-01-24 .