A noted Ohio University alumna is hoping to keep her position in Ohio’s legal system.
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown, a 1982 Ohio University graduate, announced today she intends to run for reelection to the Supreme Court later this year.
McGee Brown made her announcement at 1 p.m. today at the Columbus YWCA. She will run against Butler County Domestic Relations Judge Sharon L. Kennedy, according to an article in The Columbus Dispatch.
When former Governor Ted Strickland appointed McGee Brown in December 2010, she became the Supreme Court’s first black female justice. She took office on Jan. 1, 2011.
“I believe that I have had a real impact, by bringing a life experience and a perspective to the High Court that might not otherwise be represented,” McGee Brown said.
McGee Brown is also the only Democrat on the Ohio Supreme Court.
McGee Brown obtained her juris doctor degreefrom the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1985, and served on the OU Board of Trustees from June 2009 until she left to become a justice on the Ohio Supreme Court. She was replaced by current trustee Janetta King.
In September 2011, McGee Brown visited OU with former Senator George Voinovich and Ohio House Speaker JoAnn Davidson to speak with students about the importance of experience and integrity in public service.
McGee Brown was elected to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations and Juvenile division in 1992 and served for 10 years.
In her speech, McGee Brown emphasized some of her accomplishments, focusing on her role in the creation of the Center for Child and Family Advocacy in Columbus.
The center, which specializes in child abuse cases, provides teams of specialists to work with victims, offers prevention services and enables cooperation between police, prosecutors and advocates to streamline investigations.
“For the thousands of children and families caught up in these crimes, I know we have made a difference,” McGee Brown said.
McGee Brown said she brings an important diversity to the court that not only provides a different perspective but has affected decisions as well.
“Whether having to do with worker’s compensation, family law or child welfare, I bring experience and perspective that my judicial colleagues can benefit from,” she said.
bv111010@ohiou.edu
