A three-judge panel has dismissed a complaint that a Republican Ohio Supreme Court justice failed to recuse himself from cases involving his father, state Attorney General and Governor-elect Mike DeWine.
The decision issued Friday cites case law and says the "totality of circumstances" needs to be considered when viewing an Ohio Judicial Code of Conduct rule that a judge cannot allow a family member to influence judicial conduct or judgment. The complaint filed in January against Justice Patrick DeWine said DeWine hadn't explained how he'd know if his father was personally involved in a case or the criteria he'd use to decide whether to recuse himself. The justice faced similar challenges while serving as a Hamilton County Common Pleas judge and a member of the 1st District Court of Appeals.
