Early decisions show solidarity among Supreme Court justices

JEREMY HOLDEN
Daily Reporter Staff Writer
07/14/2003

Judging by a Columbus Daily Reporter study of Supreme Court of Ohio decisions issued in the first half of the calendar year, unanimity could be the catchphrase to mark the current court's makeup.

A look at 71 of the decisions issued since the court added Associate Justice Maureen O'Connor to the bench in January showed 44 unanimous decisions, and 14 rulings in which only one justice strayed from the super majority.

On closer decisions, no clear alliances have formed yet between the new members of the court. In 13 decisions with more than one dissenter, Justice Pfeiffer was most likely to be part of the minority, voting against the majority seven times with at least one colleague. All told, Pfeiffer disagreed with the majority 13 times, dissenting in 18 percent of the decisions studied.

One of the more anticipated decisions remains to be decided, as the court has yet to rule on the constitutionality of Cincinnati's efforts to ban concealed handguns. While lawmakers work to placate gun owners and Gov. Bob Taft, in drafting legislation that would allow Ohioans to carry concealed handguns, the court heard arguments earlier this year regarding the merits of existing laws banning concealed handguns.

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