2022 Ohio Supreme Court Voters Guide

Justice Pat Fischer is a justice on the Ohio Supreme Court.  He was first elected to the Ohio Supreme Court in 2016. Fischer is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Beginning in 2010, Fischer served on the Ohio First District Court of Appeals.  Prior to joining the judiciary, he was in private practice for 27 years.

Judge Terri Jamison is a judge on the Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals, elected in 2020. Jamison is a graduate of Franklin University and Capital University Law School. Jamison owned and operated an insurance agency for 16 years, then went into private law practice. Beginning in 2012, she was elected and reelected to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, and in 2020 to the Court of Appeals.

• In 2018, Fischer voted with the majority in a pair of 5-2 abortion decisions. One upheld the medical license revocation of the last abortion provider in northwest Ohio. The other rejected a challenge arguing that Ohio laws restricting abortions were unconstitutional.
• Fischer dissented when the Court rejected a congressional redistricting map and state legislative district maps created by the Ohio Redistricting Commission (with 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats) as unduly partisan.

• In an Appeals Court decision, Jamison remanded a property dispute for further proceedings when the trial court ruled on the pleadings without giving the defendant the chance to provide evidence. “The case showed the power of the court to bring equity in this case and give Appellant the ability to provide evidence rather than the court making a ruling solely on the pleadings.”

• Likened Roe v. Wade to the Dred Scott decision (in which Supreme Court strengthened slavery) but said was arguing with the court protecting rights that weren’t spelled out in the constitution, not comparing abortion to slavery.  About Roe v. Wade, said “The high court discovered a constitutional right to an abortion.”
• In Cincinnati Right to Life questionnaire, agreed that: “In Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized a “right to privacy” under the Constitution that includes abortion. The Constitution does not include this right.”
• On whether proposed criminal sentencing database that would show how similarly charged people are treated across different Ohio courts, has said needs more information.

• Jamison said she supports law and order, “but I am in favor of the law being applied to everyone equally and everyone treated the same.”
• Stated to the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ohio Supreme Court’s “judicious use” of its Constitutional authority related to redistricting (when the Court struck down the congressional and legislative several maps as illegal partisan gerrymanders) “demonstrates both the critical role an independent judiciary can and must play in our democracy and the absolute need to ensure that the Court continues to serve as a check and balance on the executive and legislative branches.”
• Favors creating a criminal sentencing database that would show how similarly charged people are treated across different Ohio courts.
• Disagreeing with a 2013 United States Supreme Court decision that a cheek swab of an arrestee’s DNA is comparable to fingerprinting and thus a legal police booking procedure, Jamison said, “There’s no reason to gather DNA unless you’re using it for investigative purposes.”

Fischer’s endorsements include Cleveland Right to Life, Buckeye Firearms Association, as well as the NFIB Ohio PAC, the Ohio Business Roundtable PAC, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce PAC, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Agriculture for Good Government PAC, and the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association PAC.

Jamison’s endorsements include  #VOTEPROCHOICE, the Plain Dealer/cleveland.com, the Human Rights Campaign PAC, Ohio Women’s Alliance, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio.