The Supreme Court of Ohio annual report - Supreme Court - State of ...

The Supreme Court of Ohio has the constitutional responsibility
to oversee the practice of law in the state and has one of the
most comprehensive disciplinary systems of any state in the nation.
The Court has established three offices — Office of Disciplinary
Counsel, Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline, and
the Clients’ Security Fund — to exercise independent authority to
assist the Court in meeting its responsibility as set forth in Section
5(b), Article IV, of the Ohio Constitution.
In addition, Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer chairs the Ohio
Criminal Sentencing Commission, which was created by statute
in 1990. The commission is responsible for reviewing Ohio’s
sentencing statutes and patterns, and making recommendations
regarding necessary statutory changes.
Office of Disciplinary Counsel
The Office of Disciplinary Counsel investigates allegations and
initiates complaints concerning ethical misconduct and/or mental
illness of judges or attorneys under the Code of Professional
Responsibility, the Rules of Professional Conduct, the Code of
Judicial Conduct, and rules governing the Unauthorized Practice
of Law, pursuant to the Supreme Court of Ohio Rules for the
Government of the Bar and the Government of the Judiciary.
The current Disciplinary Counsel staff includes nine attorneys,
one administrative officer, one administrative assistant, two
paralegals, two full-time and one part-time investigators, four legal
secretaries, one receptionist, one clerical-support staff member and
one part-time student law clerk.
During calendar year 2007, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel
received 3,502 matters for consideration. These included 2,467
grievances filed against attorneys, and 572 grievances filed against
judges. Of the two categories, 1,817 grievances were dismissed at
intake upon initial review and 1,220 grievance files were opened
for investigation. The Disciplinary Counsel also
received 331 appeals of grievances previously
dismissed by certified grievance committees
at the local bar associations, 69 allegations
of the unauthorized practice of law and four
reciprocal cases involving attorneys disciplined
in another jurisdiction. Additionally, 24
resignation applications were received for
review by the office, and 10 resignation cases
were closed in 2007.
In 2007, Disciplinary Counsel attorneys appeared in 22 hearings
before panels of the Board of Commissioners on Grievances &
Discipline. They also participated in eight oral arguments before
the Justices of the Supreme Court of Ohio.
Board of
Commissioners on
Grievances
& Discipline
2007 Staff
Jonathan Marshall
Secretary
Jayme L. Barlow
Anne M. Butcher
Ruth B. Dangel
Michele L. Pennington
Clients’ Security Fund
2007 Staff
Janet G. Marbley
Administrator
Meletha Dawson
Pamela Leslie
Abigail L. Minnix
Office of Disciplinary
Counsel
2007 Staff
Jonathan E. Coughlan
Disciplinary Counsel
Paula J. Adams
Stacy Beckman
Robert R. Berger
Lori J. Brown
Joseph M. Caligiuri
Carol A. Costa
Cheryl A. Dean
Brenda M. English
Megan M. Goeser
Linda S. Hardesty-Fish
Heather L. Hissom
Laura K. Johnston
Joel S. Kent
Philip A. King
Michael J. Kozanecki
Brian J. Leahy
Randy T. McGough
Christine McKrimmon
James R. McMahon
Karen H. Osmond
Mischelle L. Russell
Shannon B. Scheid
Brian E. Shinn
Holly A. Smith
Amy C. Stone
Criminal Sentencing
Commission
2007 Staff
David J. Diroll
Director
Scott A. Anderson
Cynthia J. Ward
Shawn P. Welch
Mosaics created by artist Rudolph Scheffler adorn the north and south stairwells
on the 1 st Floor with images of agriculture and industry, the core sources of income
for the Ohio economy in the 1930s.
79