On Wednesday, May 3, 2023, former Judge Tracie M. Hunter for the Hamilton County Juvenile Court filed her objections before the Supreme Court of Ohio in regard to the findings of the Board of Professional Conduct wherein the Board recommended suspending the former Judge for her illegal conduct that resulted in her conviction for having an unlawful interest in a public contract while serving as a judge of the Hamilton County Court. As a response, Hunter requested that her charge be dismissed.
On April 13, 2023, the Supreme Court of Ohio issued an order to show cause why the recommendation of the Board of Professional Conduct to indefinitely suspend Hunter should not be confirmed.
The report states:
“The Board of Professional Conduct of the Supreme Court of Ohio filed a final report in the office of the clerk of the court. In the final report, the board recommended that the former judge, Tracie M. Hunter, be indefinitely suspended from the practice of law in Ohio. This case is rooted in the violations of the respondent arising from her illegal conduct that resulted in her conviction for having an unlawful interest in a public contract while serving as a judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas.”
In disagreement with the finding of facts, the respondent in her objection argued that she did not act selfishly because she didn’t – secure a public contractor or anything of value for herself.
The Objection states:
“Judge Hunter did not act selfishly n or have a selfish motive because she didn’t secure a public contract or anything of value for herself or her brother, unlike Justice s DeWine and Deters’ family. Stephen was a victim as much as Respondent, a mere pawn in the prosecutor’s game. Stephen was involved in routine juvenile restraints as was every other JCO. The difference is that for his first seven years, his sister was not the judge of the Juvenile Court. Prior to her election, Stephen Hunter had an unblemished record at the Juvenile Court for over seven years and never had a complaint for a bad restraint against a juvenile, unlike other JCOs that had a history of complaints. He testified that he had informed the court that he didn’t want a job. It was factually and legally impossible for Respondent to secure a contract that her brother didn’t want.”
The Objection continues:
“Respondent can’t acknowledge wrongdoing for a crime that she didn’t commit, not even to save her license. Her sincere belief that she did not violate the language of the law is rooted in the fact that she didn’t violate the law and no reading of the statute comports to the allegations that she secured a public contract that can’t be tangibly identified. However, one can clearly see how DeWine’s actions violated the language of the law. In comparison, Relator can identify the contract that DeWine secured: a job at a public agency for his son; but they ignore his conduct.”
The respondent claimed that the recommendation does not make sense. The respondent said that it seems that the Board is recommending that she be permanently disbarred “for a crime that she neither committed nor was committed.”
The Conclusion states:
“Respondent requests that the charge by Relator be dismissed; the Board’s Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law be set aside; and that she be immediately reinstated to the practice of law. Anything different will only further perpetuate the unjust, inequitable, disparate, and arbitrary treatment and duality of law applied to Respondent, in violation of the Constitutions of the United States and Ohio. It will also highlight the hypocrisy, which former Justice Stafford identified when two sitting justices directly involved in Respondent’s case violated the law that they accused Respondent.”
Former Judge Hunter attended the University of Cincinnati College of Law, graduating in 1992.
Hunter sat as a judge for the Hamilton County Juvenile Court in Ohio located at 800 Broadway St., Cincinnati, OH, and can be reached at 513-946-9200. Her info can be found on ballotpedia.org.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
