Richland County Juvenile Court Judge Steve McKinley will meet Wednesday with Governor Mike DeWine’s chief legal counsel to discuss a vacancy on the Ohio Supreme Court.
According to McKinley, as an Ohio Supreme Court justice, he would define the state constitution “reasonably and in accordance with our tradition … protecting individual rights and the separation of powers.”
“I am interested in having a hand in helping to define the Ohio Constitution. I think that’s an important thing at this point, defining it according to history and context,” McKinley said.
According to McKinley, his prior experience would make him a good fit for the position.
DeWine appointed McKinley, a Republican, to the juvenile court post in 2019 when former Judge Rob Spon left the bench after 26 years. McKinley won an election in November 2020 against Democrat Roeliff Harper to finish the term, earning about 67 percent of the votes. McKinley ran unopposed for a new six-year term in November.
He would have to repeat the process if appointed to the Ohio Supreme Court. The new justice would be on the ballot in November 2024 to complete the term and then run again in 2026 for a complete six-year term.
Prior to his appointment, he served as a Richland County Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court Magistrate for over 20 years. Before entering his legal and judicial work, McKinley graduated with honors from Regent University School of Law and was on Law Review.
The Ohio Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Ohio, with final authority over interpretations of Ohio law and the Ohio Constitution.
The state Supreme Court has one chief justice and six justices, all elected to their positions. Beginning in 2022, the ballot added party affiliation. There are currently four Republicans, Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, Justice Sharon Kennedy, Justice Patrick Fischer, and Justice Patrick DeWine, and three Democrats, Justice Michael Donnelly, Justice Melody Stewart, and Justice Jennifer Brunner.
O’Connor is stepping down at the end of the year due to Ohio’s age limit for judges. One may not run for a seat on any Ohio court if one is more than 70 years of age. This limit often forces the retirement of long-time justices. Kennedy will take over as chief justice, leaving her previous seat vacant.
McKinley is only one of several candidates reportedly expressing an interest in the position.
The others thought to be in consideration for the vacant seat are Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Shanahan, States Solicitor General Ben Flowers, and Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters.
According to DeWine’s spokesman Dan Tierney, the governor’s legal team has been taking letters of interest for potential replacements and has been receiving calls of suggestions as to who should fill the empty seat on the Ohio Supreme Court but no decisions have been made yet.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine plans to fill the seat on the Ohio Supreme Court by announcing his appointment by the end of the year.
DeWine said it’s critical for the new justice to be named by the end of the year so that they can start right away.
“The new justice should be able to sit with the other justices when there are oral arguments that are taking place,” DeWine said.
Regardless of the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting, McKinley’s local judicial seat is secure for the next six years.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Steve McKinley” by Richland County Juvenile Court. Photo “Mike DeWine” by Vivien McClain Photography. CC BY-SA 4.0. Background Photo “Ohio Supreme Court” by Sixflashphoto. CC BY-SA 4.0.
