Some Ohio Republicans are floating the idea of impeaching Chief Justice Maureen O鈥機onnor, who has sided with the Ohio Supreme Court鈥檚 three Democrats in ruling all the maps produced by the GOP-dominated Redistricting Commission are unconstitutionally gerrymandered.
While some Republicans have been sharing this idea quietly, Rep. Scott Wiggam tweeted out 鈥渋t鈥檚 time to impeach Maureen O鈥機onnor now鈥�.
Republican state Rep Scott Wiggam tweeting out what others are saying quietly regarding the Ohio Supreme Court鈥檚 Republican Chief Justice, who鈥檚 sided w the three Democratic justices in the redistricting cases
— Karen Kasler (@karenkasler)
But Gov. Mike DeWine 鈥� who鈥檚 voted for every map that O鈥機onnor and the three Democratic justices have ruled unconstitutional 鈥� is opposed.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we want to go down that pathway because we disagree with a decision by a court, because we disagree with a decision by an individual judge or justice,鈥� DeWine said.
Two former Ohio Supreme Court justices said the calls to impeach O鈥機onnor are rare and not serious.
Former Republican Justice Paul Pfeifer said lawmakers have raised impeachment in anger over Supreme Court decisions in the past.
"A lot of legislators are furious with the chief justice, make no mistake about that. But there won't be any follow through with any chatter about impeachment. That just won't happen,鈥� Pfeifer said.
Bill O鈥橬eill was the lone Democratic justice on the Court for years and said he voted most often with Maureen O鈥機onnor.
"She was reasonable then, she's being reasonable now,鈥� O鈥橬eill said. 鈥淚'm embarrassed for the people of Ohio that anybody would suggest that you put the word impeachment and chief justice in the same sentence."
Both Pfeifer and O鈥橬eill said there鈥檚 always tension among the justices, but O鈥機onnor鈥檚 decision to side with the three Democrats over redistricting isn鈥檛 related to that.
O鈥機onnor, who was Gov. Bob Taft鈥檚 lieutenant governor, has been chief justice for 20 years, and can鈥檛 run for re-election because of Ohio鈥檚 age limit on justices.
Democratic Justice Jennifer Brunner is running to replace O鈥機onnor, and will face Republican Justice Sharon Kennedy, who鈥檚 written some sharply worded dissents and criticized O鈥機onnor directly last month for asking the Redistricting Commission members to explain why they shouldn鈥檛 be held in contempt, saying the chief justice didn鈥檛 have that authority.
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