Thomas J. Moyer

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Thomas J. Moyer (born April 18, 1939) is an American jurist.

He has been chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court since 1987. Moyer is a Republican.

[edit] Pre-Supreme Court

Moyer was born in Sandusky, Ohio. He attended Sandusky High School and went on to receive both his undergraduate and law degree from The Ohio State University. He served as chairman of the board of directors of the O.S.U. Alumni Association, as well as the board of directors of Franklin University.

From 1979 to 1987, Moyer served on the Tenth District Court of Appeals for Ohio, which covers only Franklin County, Ohio. Prior to his appointment, he served as the president of the Columbus Board of Education. During his tenure there, the board found itself in the middle of desegregation fights, chronicled in the book Getting Around Brown. He also served for four years as an executive assistant to Governor James A. Rhodes (R-Ohio) and eight years in private practice in Sandusky, Ohio.

[edit] On the Court

Moyer has presided over matters of great importance on the Supreme Court, including the DeRolph decision dealing with school funding and the late-nineties fight over tort reform.

Although he is a Republican, Moyer is viewed now as frequently aiding decisions made when the court was controlled by Democrats because of his strong belief in the principles of stare decisis. In 2001, he created a task force on guardians ad litem in Ohio, although it never seems to have gone anywhere.

In 2004, the court moved into a new, and substantially grander, quarters. Much controversy ensued over the cost; but, on May 15, 2004, it was dedicated by U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist. The court now posts their oral arguments online through RealPlayer.

In 2005, Moyer created some controversy when he refused to order the flags outside the court lowered to half-staff in honor of the death of Pope John Paul II. He argued he could not, based on separation of church and state.

Moyer is married and lives in Columbus, with a summer home on Catawba Island. He has been reelected in 1992, 1998 and 2004.