Ohio Chief Justice Moyer dies

After experiencing health problems over recent months, Chief Justice Thomas Moyer unexpectedly passed Friday.

While the cause of death is still undetermined, Moyer had an irregular heartbeat and gastrointestinal problems, said Chris Davey, a court spokesman. Moyer was admitted to a hospital Thursday night and quickly deteriorated, according to The Plain Dealer.

Changing the way judges are chosen in Ohio was one of Moyer’s chief efforts.

Catherine Turcer, campaign finance director for Ohio Citizen Action, a grass-roots consumer advocacy group, called Moyer a good advocate for changing the system, according to the Associated Press.

“I really admired that because that’s not easy to do,” she said. “Here he is, he’s the chief justice and he’s saying, ‘Hey, there’s something really wrong here. We need to stop combining money and judges.‘“Over his 23 year career as a justice, Moyer was characterized as honest and moral.

“He was always an honorable person. There was never any question about the integrity of Tom Moyer,” said Bill Phillis, who led the Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding. “That’s not to say we agreed with Tom ... but you never questioned his honesty and integrity.”

Gov. Ted Strickland has introduced a proposal to name the Ohio Judicial Center after Moyer, according to the Dayton Daily News.

“He cared deeply for that building,” Strickland said. “It seems to me that it would be very appropriate for that building to be named after him.”

Strickland will name a replacement, according to The Plain Dealer, but thought it was too early to make the decision. Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer, the most senior justice on the court, has taken over as acting chief justice.

A public funeral service for Moyer was held on Saturday at the First Community Church in Marble Cliff at 11 a.m. A public memorial tribute will be held on Law Day, May 1.

Editorials
Ohio’s chief justice set a high standard as a person and as a judge - The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer remembered - The Plain Dealer