Over 700 Attend Law Day Memorial for Chief Justice Tom Moyer

More than 700 colleagues, friends and family, including about 150 judges, attended a memorial tribute today for the late Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer on Law Day at his beloved Ohio State University.

The ceremony included a procession of robed judges from the federal bench, Ohio courts and out-of-state courts led by the Pipes and Drums of the Cleveland Police.

In recognizing Chief Justice Moyer’s significant contributions in a remarkable life dedicated to civility, public service and the rule of law, each of the six current Justices offered their personal reflections on the Chief. Former Justices and other national and state judicial and legal leaders offered personal tributes in addition to a video tribute. Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee also offered remarks.

Some speakers chose to highlight his longevity, his jurisprudence, his administrative accomplishments. Many more focused on his character as a judge, a leader and a person.

“With a leadership style that is best described as a gentle hand from behind, he sought for us to encourage civility, work tirelessly, be patient to a fault, and commit ourselves fully to serving the greater good at the expense of ourselves,” said Supreme Court Administrative Director Steven C. Hollon, who served under Chief Justice Moyer for more than 10 years.

At the time of his death on April 2, Chief Justice Moyer was the longest-serving current Chief Justice in the country, having served for more than 23 years as Chief Justice, and the second longest-serving Chief Justice in the history of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

There was probably no better place to say goodbye one last time than the new Ohio Union on campus. Chief Justice Moyer’s 50-year relationship with Ohio State began in the late 1950s as an undergraduate student. A native of Sandusky, he earned his B.A. and J.D. degrees from Ohio State in 1961 and 1964, respectively.

His numerous awards include recognition as one of 40 outstanding alumni in 1987, at Ohio State’s 300th commencement. He also served as chair of the OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1997-99. Additionally, Chief Justice Moyer received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Ohio State in 1993. Most recently, he served as summer quarter commencement speaker on Aug. 30.

During the event, Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Christine Durham announced that Chief Justice Moyer had been posthumously awarded the Harry L. Carrico Award for Judicial Innovation for 2010 from the National Center for State Courts.

The National Anthem was sung by Calvin Griffin of the OSU Glee Club. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Adrian McElmore, Rondeisha Finney and Alex McFarland, members of the Vision Youth Advisory Board. Dr. Richard Ellsworth, pastor emeritus of the Central College Presbyterian Church, offered the opening and closing prayers.

Remarks were also offered by Dean Alan Michaels of the Michael E. Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University; The Honorable Robert M. Duncan, a former federal judge and the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court of Ohio; Judge Sheila Farmer of the Ohio 5th District Court of Appeals and chair of the Ohio Judicial Conference; Barbara Howard, president of the Ohio State Bar Association; Nancy Rogers, former Ohio Attorney General and OSU professor of law; Stephen P. Anway, former law clerk to Chief Justice Moyer; and Mrs. Mary Moyer.

Members of the OSU Men’s and Women’s Glee Club led the assembly in the singing of Carmen Ohio.

A memorial page decided to Chief Justice Moyer, including a selection of tributes from people across Ohio and the United States, is available at www.sc.ohio.gov.

Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.

Judicial Procession to Lead Memorial Tribute for former Chief Justice Thomas Moyer on Law Day

A procession of Ohio judges led by a memorial pipe and drum corps will open a memorial tribute for the late Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer on Law Day in the new Grand Ballroom of the Ohio Union on the campus of the Chief’s beloved Ohio State University.

The Supreme Court of Ohio today released details about the public event that will honor the life and legacy of the late Chief Justice, who died unexpectedly on April 2 eight months shy of the end of his fourth and final six-year term on the Court.

The memorial tribute – to be held this Saturday, May 1, at 11 a.m. – will be broadcast live on the Ohio Channel and streamed live on the Supreme Court’s Web site. The event will recognize Chief Justice Moyer’s significant contributions in a remarkable life dedicated to civility, public service and the rule of law.

At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving current Chief Justice in the country and the second longest-serving Chief Justice in the history of the Supreme Court of Ohio. Certainly, that longevity will be among the focus of tributes on May 1, but hardly the only remembrance.

The ceremony will include a procession of robed judges from the federal bench, Ohio courts and out-of-state courts led by the Pipes and Drums of the Cleveland Police. Each of the six current Justices will offer personal reflections on the Chief. Former Justices and other national and state judicial and legal leaders will offer personal tributes in addition to a video tribute of those whose lives were touched by the Chief Justice. Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee will also offer remarks.

The event is expected to conclude at about 12:30 p.m.

Members of the general public are welcome. For planning purposes, those attending are asked to make reservations by Wednesday, April 28, by emailing memorial@sc.ohio.gov or calling 614.387.9510.

There is a parking garage attached to the Union, 1739 N. High St. More information is available at the Court’s Web site, www.supremecourt.ohio.gov.

Chief Justice Tom Moyer Remembered

The Supreme Court of Ohio on Saturday took measures to ensure the uninterrupted administration of justice in Ohio in the wake of the unexpected death of Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer on Friday, while those who knew and loved the Chief began to reflect on his life and career.

The Justices of the Supreme Court of Ohio, colleagues and friends remembered Chief Justice Moyer on Saturday as an honorable man whose remarkable career combined an unmatched work ethic with a commitment to civility, a deep respect for the rule of law and dedication to public service. The result was a 24-year tenure at the helm of the Ohio judiciary that brought unprecedented progress and improvement.

“This is a devastating loss for his family, for the court, and for the people of Ohio. And it’s a personal loss for me and all of our colleagues,” said Justice Paul E. Pfeifer, who knew the Chief Justice for more than 40 years from their days at the OSU Law School. “Tom had all the qualities you would want in a Chief Justice. He was fair and deliberative. He encouraged collaboration, and deeply valued collegiality. Over time, he assembled a great staff, and he was respected and admired by everyone who worked in this building. They genuinely liked the man, and I know they will miss him on a personal level. But the court family will continue to represent him for years to come, and that’s one of his great legacies.”

Under Article 4, Section 2 of the Ohio Constitution, as the most senior Justice of the Court, Justice Pfeifer will serve as the acting Chief Justice. The Governor may elect to make an appointment under the provisions of Article 4, Section 13.

Justice Pfeifer conferred with fellow Justices and Court administrators Saturday to determine a course for hearing and deciding cases and attending to the administrative duties of the office.

“Chief Justice Moyer was on the bench right up to the end, hearing oral arguments on Wednesday before entering the hospital on Thursday,” Justice Pfeifer said. “More than anything, he would want us to see to the continuity of operations at this institution he dedicated his life to serving for the people of Ohio.”

Discussions with the family regarding funeral arrangements continued Saturday, and details will be released soon.

Meanwhile, leaders from across Ohio and the nation continued on Saturday to offer reflections on the life and career of an extraordinary man whose impact on the judicial system in Ohio and beyond will be felt for decades.

“When he became Chief Justice, he not only brought great integrity to the bench, but he ushered in an era of forward-thinking reforms,” said Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton. “He was one of the country’s first champions of drug courts. He was a champion of technology in the judicial system with the development of the Ohio Courts Network. He was a tireless champion of arbitration and mediation. He was nationally respected as an innovative leader who always sought to not just administer justice but to improve the administration of justice.”

Justice Maureen O’Connor reflected on the Chief’s legendary temperament. “You can’t say this about many people, but he was truly a gentleman. It took a keg of dynamite to rile him up. He was very slow to anger. And because of that, he was a leader.”

Governor Ted Strickland recalled that Chief Justice Moyer swore him in as governor in 2007, which he said was “the beginning of a warm and close working relationship – the kind of mutually respectful relationship you always envision leaders of different branches of government having. But that was Tom: dignified, respectful, thoughtful and always concerned for the well-being of others. It was never about him. Tom unselfishly served the people of Ohio for so many years. I know he was very much looking forward to his retirement, but he loved what he did. In recent years, he was a leader and a partner in Ohio’s bipartisan efforts to fight foreclosure and to take a serious and comprehensive look at corrections reform. He spoke passionately and convincingly for reducing the influence of money in judicial elections.”

Read statements from the other current Justices, former Justices and other leaders.

Chief Justice Moyer was the longest-serving current Chief Justice in the United States. He was first elected in 1986 and took office in 1987. He was re-elected three times, in 1992, 1998 and 2004.

Under his leadership, Ohio became a leader in providing substance-abuse treatment to nonviolent offenders and the development of family courts, a comprehensive approach to resolving criminal and civil issues confronting families.

As chairman of the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission, Chief Justice Moyer led efforts to revise Ohio felony, misdemeanor, traffic and juvenile sentencing laws adopted by the General Assembly.

Chief Justice Moyer also worked with lawyers and judges in other countries in the development of independent judiciaries. After Ukraine gained its independence, he led efforts to introduce that country to the importance of the rule of law and continues to host delegations from Ukraine on a regular basis. Chief Justice Moyer also worked with judicial leaders in China, Argentina and Chile.

The Chief Justice received his law degree from The Ohio State University in 1964, and served eight years as a judge of the 10th District Court of Appeals in Franklin County, four years as executive assistant to the governor of Ohio and eight years in the private practice of law in Columbus.

Chief Justice Moyer served as vice-chair of the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center (ASTAR), a national consortium to prepare judges for managing the resolution of disputes that present complex science issues. He also chaired the Task Force on Politics and Judicial Selection for the Conference of Chief Justices and co-chaired its Committee on Emergency Preparedness in the Courts.

He served on the Board of Justice at Stake, a national organization that supports fair and impartial courts. In 2009, he also was appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Sandra Day O’Connor Judicial Selection Initiative.

In 1987, at the 300th Ohio State University commencement, he was recognized as one of 40 outstanding alumni. In August 2009, Chief Justice Moyer delivered the commencement address to about 1,900 graduates at Ohio State's summer quarter commencement.

In June 1989, the Chief Justice received the American Judicature Society Herbert Harley Award for improving the administration of justice in Ohio. In August 1995, he was named president of the Conference of Chief Justices for a one-year term. In January 2003, he was awarded the James F. Henry Award for exemplary alternative dispute resolution leadership in the state judiciary from the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution. In addition, the National Client Protection Organization recognized Chief Justice Moyer with its 2008 Isaac Hecht Law Client Protection Award, given for demonstrated excellence in the field of law-client protection.

Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger had this to say: “The Chief could laugh and joke and make every person feel special no matter what position the person held. He was interested in the well-being of all, and we were privileged to serve at the Supreme Court with him. In my 25 years as a judge, he was my Chief, and I will miss him.”

Contact: Chris Davey at 614.387.9250.