Lisa Forbes wins Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Judge Lisa Forbes has won Ohio Supreme Court’s only competitive primary, the Associated Press projected Tuesday night.
With over 65% of precincts reporting, Forbes, a judge on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, leads 63%-37% over 10th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Terri Jamison – a margin over 90,000 votes. Forbes will face Republican nominee and Franklin County Judge Dan Hawkins for one of three open Supreme Court seats in November.
Between hearing criminal defendants’ appeals, evaluating the constitutionality of electoral maps and resolving ballot language issues, the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of the law in Ohio. The portfolio of cases it hears every year – representing only about one of every 20 cases it receives – touches on every area of law, from the most technical of statutory conflicts to the most significant of constitutional questions.
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Judicial candidates have always been evaluated and endorsed by political parties, but since partisan labels were added to Ohio Supreme Court races two years ago, candidates’ political affiliations have taken center-stage. And leading up to November, when the conservative lean of the court will either be flipped or further cemented, the “D” or “R” next to candidates’ names will be all the more significant to Ohio voters.
Forbes is in her first term on the Eighth District Court of Appeals, the appellate court for Cuyahoga County. Prior to her judgeship, the Case Western University law graduate spent nearly three decades, much of which as partner, at the Cleveland office of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, focusing on complex litigation.
Forbes, who is endorsed by the Ohio Democratic Party, said it is justices’ job to interpret the laws the legislature writes, regardless of how they personally feel about the statutes. But the public doesn’t necessarily have that conception of the bench, she noted.
In fact, in Forbes’ eyes, the greatest obstacle to achieving justice is the lack of trust and confidence in the judiciary. The system cannot work if the people do not trust it, she said. Increasing transparency is vital, Forbes said. As an appellate judge, she said she aims to thoroughly explain her decisions to the parties, not just to their attorneys.
Forbes believes a major step the Supreme Court should take in ensuring access to justice is increasing the number of cases it hears. The Supreme Court only hears about 5% of cases it receives every year. But many more cases could have a significant impact on citizens’ lives.
On the 10th District Court of Appeals – Franklin County’s – since 2020, Jamison originally hails from West Virginia, working in the coal mines and as a child welfare daycare evaluator.
When she moved to Ohio, she earned her undergraduate degree from Franklin University while working full time. After earning her law degree from Capital University, she started her legal career as a Franklin County public defender before opening her own private practice focused on criminal, juvenile and domestic relations cases.
In 2012, Jamison was elected to the Franklin County court’s juvenile and domestic relations branch. There, she worked on beefing up the court’s translation services for immigrants and other non-English speakers.
Jamison said the biggest obstacles to achieving justice are the financial roadblocks that not only prevent parties from making their best arguments, but also prevent cases from even making it to attorneys’ desks. That’s particularly the case for criminal defendants who cannot afford attorneys for appeals.
To increase judicial transparency, Jamison said court systems should develop both criminal sentencing databases and civil case judgment databases. The lack of easily available data, she said, makes it more difficult to hold individual judges accountable.
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