Supreme Court Adopts Changes to Code of Judicial Conduct
The Ohio Supreme Court announced today the adoption of several changes to the Code of Judicial Conduct, including an increase in judicial campaign contribution limits that take effect Jan. 1, 2017.
Changes to Jud.Cond.R. 4.4(J) and (K) enact the 4.37 percent increase (rounded to the nearest $100) in the Consumer Price Index for campaign contribution limits that occurred over the four-year period since the rules last required the director of the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct to compute the percentage change for consideration by the Supreme Court. See the chart below to view the new limits (in green) for individuals, organizations, and political parties according to the primary and general elections and judges’ jurisdictional levels.
| CANDIDATE FOR: | INDIVIDUAL | ORGANIZATION | POLITICAL PARTY | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary* | General | Primary* | General | Primary* | General | |
| Supreme Court Chief Justice and Justice | $3,600 $3,800 |
$3,600 $3,800 |
$6,700 $7,000 |
$6,700 $7,000 |
$181,600 $189,500 |
$333,000 $347,600 |
| Court of Appeals | $1,200 $1,300 |
$1,200 $1,300 |
$3,600 $3,800 |
$3,600 $3,800 |
$36,300 $37,900 |
$72,700 $75,900 |
| Common Pleas, Municipal, and County Court more than 750,000 |
$600 | $600 | $3,600 $3,800 |
$3,600 $3,800 |
$36,300 $37,900 |
$72,700 $75,900 |
| 750,000 or less | $600 | $600 | $3,600 $3,800 |
$3,600 $3,800 |
$30,300 $31,600 |
$60,500 $63,600 |
Judicial candidates seeking office in 2017 may begin soliciting and receiving contributions on Jan. 2, 2017.
The amendments adopted by the Supreme Court also make it clear that the revised contribution limits apply prospectively to judicial candidates who appear on the ballot in 2017 and subsequent years. Judicial candidates who appeared on the 2016 ballot and are engaged in post-election fundraising activities remain subject to the existing limits.
Additionally, the Court amended the comments attached to Jud.Cond.R. 4.3(A), which was revised based on the Court’s finding in In re Judicial Campaign Complaint Against O’Toole in 2014 that a portion of the rule was an unconstitutional restriction on free speech and in violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Because of that ruling, the Court removed the “misleading” language from the text in the comment.
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