COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court says a judge shouldn’t have scolded jurors for issuing a verdict she believed to be wrong.
The court concluded Wednesday in a public reprimand that Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Amy Salerno violated a rule requiring judges to behave in ways to promote the judiciary’s integrity and impartiality. It says she also violated a rule barring judges from commenting on jury verdicts except in a court order or opinion.
Jurors in Salerno’s courtroom issued a not-guilty verdict in 2013 in a misdemeanor assault case. Several jurors complained to the court about how Salerno told them they “got this wrong.”
The court says Salerno’s comments subjected the state’s judicial system to criticism and ridicule.
A message left Wednesday for Salerno wasn’t immediately returned.
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Isn’t she on 'Dance Moms?
The judge could simply have directed a verdict–as was her right–if she believed the evidence didn’t warrant sending to a jury. She was looking for the jury to do the dirty/hard work.
Now ain’t she special.
Not sure how it works in OH, but here in PA the court can and has removed judges for what’s considered harassing jurors. I served on a jury where the judge was removed before we finished the case. He had a complaint against him for browbeating jurors during the voir dire phase. He engaged in that behavior while we were being picked. He never heard another case after that. Wonder what kind of history she has.
In 41 years at the bar I have never heard of anything like this. Don’t Ohio judges go to judge school.
Lots of times I have had judges tell me privately that the jury didn’t find as he or she thought it would, but they have always thanked the jury for its service and have always respected their decision. .
“The court says Salerno’s comments subjected the state’s judicial system to criticism and ridicule.”
Yeah, let’s focus on that instead of on the fact that her behavior reveals her to be a biased judge who is unfit for the bench because she clearly cannot keep her personal beliefs about the case out of her decision-making.
BTW, what color was the defendant?