Several Republican leaders are calling for Justice Bill O’Neill to step down from the Ohio Supreme Court because he says he'll run for governor. Now a state lawmaker is taking it one step further by invoking a section in the constitution that could force O’Neill out.
Representative Niraj Antani's resolution would summon O’Neill before a joint session of the legislature. Antani says that's where lawmakers can address their concerns about O'Neill serving on the Supreme Court while running for another office.
“When he’s out there promoting his ‘O’Neill plan for Ohio’ which is a partisan platform he is shaking the public’s trust in so far as a fair and independent judiciary.”
Antani says the next step would be a resolution to remove O’Neill.
But O’Neill says he’s not violating any laws, adding that he’s recused himself for any future cases while he works on the nearly 100 that are pending.