On Tuesday, June 13, 2o23, the former judge for the Hamilton County Juvenile Court in Ohio, Tracie Hunter issued a letter to the Supreme Court of Ohio requesting to recuse Honorable Patrick Fischer from handling her case.
The case is entitled “Disciplinary Counsel v. Tracie Hunter,” with case no. 2023-0472.
A noteworthy event occurred on May 26, 2023, regarding former judge Hunter’s case. The Disciplinary Counsel responded to Honorable Tracie Hunter’s objections before the Supreme Court of Ohio regarding the findings of the Board of Professional Conduct. The Board had recommended the suspension of the former judge due to her illegal actions, which led to her conviction for having an unlawful interest in a public contract while serving as a judge of the Hamilton County Court. As per the Disciplinary Counsel’s findings, the individual in question, who was acting as a judge, misused her authority and engaged in a serious criminal offense with the intention of safeguarding her sibling’s job. Allegedly, she interjected herself into the termination process involving her brother, exploited her position to acquire relevant documents for her defense, and subsequently handed over these documents to herself.
The report states:
“The board properly found that there was clear and convincing evidence of respondent’s criminal conduct and that respondent violated five rules of the Code of Judicial Conduct. The board properly found that the respondent’s felony conviction and the findings of the reviewing courts support all the allegations in the complaint and demonstrate that the respondent violated five rules of the Code of Judicial Conduct when she abused her judicial position to interfere with her brother’s employment contract.”
The report continues:
“Despite her argument to the contrary, no evidence was withheld from the respondent. Respondent argued that the relator “intentionally refused to provide all of Judge Hunter’s emails.”Resp. Obj. at 9. The Respondent did not engage in written discovery, and she did not request any email evidence from the relator. However, even if she had, the relator had no such evidence to provide. The relator does not possess any of the respondent’s emails beyond those emails she provided as the proposed exhibit. Relator did not withhold exculpatory evidence.”
In the most recent development regarding the said case, Tracie Hunter requested the Supreme Court of Ohio to recuse Justice Patrick Fischer from her case, given the latter’s knowledge of the facts and participation in court recuse proceedings as a judge on the First District Court of Appeals, in Hamilton County, Ohio that led to the current proceedings of the respondent case before the honorable court.
The letter states:
“Justice Fischer and his daughter Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Kathleen Fischer, while working for former Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters, were involved in the two cases known as In Re: Q.o, Trial No. 12-1209%, Appeal No. C-130548; and In Re A.C. Trial No. 12-11408, Appeal Nos. C-130416, 130464, and 130467. I was falsely accused of backdating my judicial entries in those cases by former Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters and his employees, including Kathleen, the prosecuting attorney in the A.C. case. Exs. A – E.”
The letter continues:
“My affidavit and the attached exhibits will demonstrate that Hamilton County prosecutors, including Justice Fischer’s daughter, knew when they made the false allegations that led to four felony charges against me for tampering with evidence and forgery that those allegations were untrue; yet falsified court records in those cases in order to corroborate their false statements. The State’s software expert and Juvenile Court employee both testified at my trial that the prosecutors knew that those allegations were untrue when they accused and charged me.”
Former Judge Tracie Hunter ended her letter stating that the aforementioned facts demonstrate that Justice Fischer and his daughter’s involvement in her case, place Justice Fischer’s impartiality, integrity, fairness, and independence into question, and thus necessitates recusal.
Ms. Hunter sat as a judge for the Hamilton County Juvenile Court located at 800 Broadway St., Cincinnati, Ohio, 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.
