Governor Kasich returns to previous method to appoint judges in Cuyahoga and Darke Counties
March 23, 2011
Ohio: Last week, Governor John Kasich appointed new judges to the trial courts in Cuyahoga and Darke counties. In appointing these judges, Kasich abandoned the judicial nomination panel created by former Governor Ted Strickland in 2007. Strickland sought to eliminate the political process of appointing judges, which for 16 years relied on the county political parties to forward names of potential appointees. In an attempt to make the appointment process more objective, he created a statewide screening panel to evaluate and suggest nominees for the county courts.[1]
Governor Kasich returned to the pre-2007 selection process in choosing the new appointees. His spokesperson said that "the party-short-list system yields highly qualified and well-vetted candidates," while insisting that the governor remains open-minded to suggestions to improve the judicial selection system. Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor favors moving toward a nonpartisan process for selecting nominees.[1]
Robert C. McClelland was the first appointee announced last week, set to join the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. He unsuccessfully ran for a seat on this court in 2010, losing in the general election to Maureen Clancy. McClelland will need to run for election to his appointed seat in 2012 is he wishes to continue serving. This time, however, he has the added boost of running as an incumbent.[2]
Appointed to the Darke County Court of Common Pleas Probate and Juvenile Bench was Jason R. Aslinger. He succeeds Michael D. McClurg, who retired in January 2011. Since receiving his J.D. in 1996, Aslinger has spent his legal career in private practice. His term will also expire in 2012, when he must run for election to the seat.[3]
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