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THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO

DISCIPLINARY

250 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE. SUITE 325

COLUMBUS. OHIO 43215-7411
(614) 461-0256
FAX (614) 461-7205

COUNSEL

SCOTT J. DREXEL
CHIEF ASSISTANT

DISCIPLINARY

COUNSEL

JOSEPH M. CALIGIURI

1-800-589-5256

ASSISTANT DISCIPLINARY

COUNSEL

STACY SOLOCHEK BECKMAN

MICHELLE R. BOWMAN
DIONNE C. DeNUNZIO
KAREN H. OSMOND
CATHERINE M. RUSSO
DONALD M. SCHEETZ
AMYC. STONE
AUDREY E. VARWIG

October 16, 2014

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

I

Rosanna L. Miller
10469 Westfall Rd.
Amanda, OH 43102
Re:

Hon. Mark Stanton O'Connor

ODC File No. B4-2225J

Dear Ms. Miller:

Your grievance concerning Judge O'Connor was received in our office on September 30,
2014.
Please be advised that the authority of the Disciplinary Counsel is limited to investigating
alleged misconduct and violations of the Code of Professional Responsibility, the Ohio Rules of
Professional Conduct and the Code of Judicial Conduct by attorneys and judges. Therefore, only
viol<~tionsof specific rules governing attorneys and judges can be addressed by this office. Further,
our dffice cannot provide legal assistance, offer legal advice or answer questions of a legal nature.
Upon review of your grievance, we do not note any evidence of conduct constituting a
violation of the Code by Judge O'Connor. In 2009, Judge O'Connor asked that a visiting judge be
assigned to preside over four specifically enumerated cases involving your family. He provided the
nam~ of a retired judge who had handled similar cases in the past for Logan County and indicated
the rftired judge's willingness to take the cases; It is not uncommon for a judge to propose a
partifular judge to take a visiting judge assignment. Chief Justice Moyer adopted Judge
O'Connor's recommendation and appointed Judge Walters to hear the four specifically enumerated
cases, Chief Justice Moyer's appointment applied only to those four named cases. It did not extend
to al~cases involving your family members ever pending in any division of the Logan County
Common Pleas Court for all time. We see nothing improper about Judge O'Connor presiding over
the 2fl3 criminal case the state brought against your brother regarding your father.
While you are obviously dissatisfied with Judge O'Connor's decision to throw out the
failure to provide care charge against your brother, as there is not substantial, credible evidence that
he engaged in ethical misconduct in making that decision, we lack the probable cause to investigate
this matter further. We remind you that a jury acquitted your brother of the other charges.

Rosanna L. Miller
October 16, 2014
Page 2

For the aforementioned reasons, we have dismissed your grievance and closed our file.
Sincerely,

~~G~
AmyC.S~*
Assistant Disciplinary Counse!~
ACS/lkj
cc:
Hon. Mark Stanton O'Connor