Maureen O'Connor, Justice
Jan. 1, 2003 - present
Born in the nation’s capital, but raised in Strongsville and Parma, Justice Maureen O’Connor’s 2008 re-election to the Supreme Court of Ohio is the latest achievement in a long career of public service.
While gaining experience in practice as an attorney during the early 1980s, Justice O’Connor created a home for her family and her legal career in Northeast Ohio. Appointed a magistrate in Summit County in 1985, she served in that capacity until becoming a common pleas court judge in 1993. As a busy trial judge, Justice O’Connor was selected by her peers to serve as the administrative judge — a testament to her ability to build coalitions and maintain collegiality while administering to the business of the courts.
But Justice O’Connor felt compelled to return to work on the front lines of protecting the public. She became the Summit County prosecuting attorney in 1995, aggressively prosecuting repeat offenders, violent criminals and public officials who committed ethical violations or improprieties. She was recognized for her work on behalf of crime victims, and remains proud of awards bestowed on her by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Cleveland State University. As prosecutor, Justice O’Connor also lobbied the General Assembly for tougher rape laws and mandatory jail time for gang-related offenses. Successful in her undertakings, she set her sights on more difficult challenges.
In 1998, Ohioans elected Justice O’Connor as their lieutenant governor — the second-highest official in the state. She quickly became the governor’s chief advisor on criminal-justice issues, serving as director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and as chair of Ohio’s Security Task Force and the State Building Security Review Committee. Justice O’Connor’s experiences in law enforcement proved invaluable, particularly in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, when she led the state in its response to new threats of terrorism. Her leadership in this area garnered the attention and praise of the country’s first homeland security director, Tom Ridge.
In the 2008 general election, Justice O’Connor won re-election to the Supreme Court with more than 67 percent of the popular vote. Her 2002 election, in which she took more than 57 percent of the vote, made her the 148th Justice to the Court, the sixth woman to join the Court and gave the Court its first-ever female majority.
As a Supreme Court Justice, she also devotes herself to educational initiatives for Ohio students and to matters of security, such as the Court’s new Advisory Committee on Court Security & Emergency Preparedness, which she chairs.
Last day of current term: Dec. 31, 2014.
