On February 3, 2023, the Board of Professional Conduct of the Supreme Court of Ohio recommended the indefinite suspension of Jason Daniel Warner, former Common Pleas Court Judge in Marion County, in relation to Warner’s felony convictions.
The case is titled ‘In re: Complaint against Jason Daniel Warner’, case no. 2022-021.
The charges cited Warner’s violation of Judicial Conduct Rules 1.1, 1.2, 8.4(b), 8.4(c), 8.4(d), and 8.4(h) of the Professional Conduct Rules, which state that:
A judge shall comply with the law.
A judge shall at all times act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the judiciary and avoid the appearance of impropriety.
It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to commit an illegal act that reflects on a lawyer’s honesty or trustworthiness.
It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to engage in conduct involving fraud, dishonesty, deceit, or misrepresentation.
It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to commit an illegal act that reflects on a lawyer’s honesty or trustworthiness.
It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to engage in conduct that adversely reflects on the lawyer’s fitness to practice law.
According to a court document, Warner and his wife after attending a social event got into an automobile accident on June 3, 2020. The two then left the scene without reporting the collision or trying to help the occupant of the other vehicle until nine hours later.
Warner and his wife were indicted on multiple felonies, went to trial, and were ultimately found guilty of complicity in leaving the scene of an accident, and complicity to tampering with evidence on March 11, 2021.
Based on his conviction, the Supreme Court placed Warner on interim felony suspension on March 12, 2021. While serving his prison sentence in the Toledo Reformatory, Warner resigned from the bench on June 14, 2021.
The parties stipulated Warner’s misconduct, as well as the aggravating and mitigating factors present in the matter. The hearing panel recommended that Warner be indefinitely suspended from the practice of law, without credit for time served under the interim felony suspension, and ordered to pay the costs of the proceedings.
In light of the foregoing facts, the Board voted to adopt the findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommendations of the hearing panel. The Board then filed its recommendation to the Supreme Court of Ohio.
Mr. Jason Daniel Warner earned his law degree from Ohio State University, Michael E. Moritz College of Law, graduating in 1993.
Warner’s former courtroom is located at 100 N. Main St. Marion, OH, and can be reached at (740) 223-4270.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
