Thomas-Moyer-Obituary

Thomas Moyer

Obituary

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Moyer, who was the longest-serving sitting state Supreme Court chief justice in the United States, died Friday at age 70.

Moyer was admitted to a Columbus hospital Thursday morning after experiencing gastrointestinal problems and died Friday afternoon, court spokesman Chris Davey said. Over the past few months Moyer had health problems that weren't believed to be life-threatening.

Moyer, the second-longest-serving chief justice in Ohio history, became chief justice Jan. 1, 1987. He had planned to retire after finishing his current term at the end of the year.

Justice Paul Pfeifer, who met Moyer when both were students at the Ohio State University law school, said he and his colleagues were brought to tears.

"It's just a huge tragedy for all of us and a great loss for his family and for the citizens of Ohio," he said. "He was the quintessential image, and not just image but the reality of dignity of the office of chief justice, and of the role of the courts in our society."

Pfeifer said Moyer's health had deteriorated over the past weeks but he was in court on Tuesday, despite looking "very ill," and returned Wednesday looking much better. He said he was disappointed Moyer didn't get a "very grand party" to end his more than two decades as chief justice but Moyer would've been proud he presided to the end of his life.

Moyer, a Republican, extended a bipartisan hand to the first Democratic governor in the state in 16 years when he delivered the oath of office to Gov. Ted Strickland in January 2007.

Strickland on Friday ordered flags at public buildings and grounds flown at half-staff Monday through the day of Moyer's burial. He called Moyer "dignified, respectful, thoughtful and always concerned for the well-being of others."

Among the influential cases Moyer oversaw was one through which the court multiple times declared Ohio's school funding system unconstitutional.

Bill Phillis, who led the Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, which fought Ohio's school funding formula before the court, praised Moyer's conduct.

"He was always an honorable person. There was never any question about the integrity of Tom Moyer," he said. "That's not to say we agreed with Tom ... but you never questioned his honesty and integrity."

Among Moyer's main efforts was to change the way judges are selected in Ohio. He had been pushing for a constitutional amendment requiring the appointment of state Supreme Court justices, rather that selection through election, because he believed having judges seek large campaign donations tainted the legal system.

"It doesn't support the fundamental principle of judges acting fairly and impartially," Moyer told The Associated Press in December.

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

"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.'"

Ohio State University law professor Marc Spindelman said Moyer would take time from his busy schedule to speak to students.

"This is a reeling loss for the court. The chief justice was a great statesman, in addition to being an absolutely hardworking public servant and just a very decent human being," Spindelman said. "He was the court's moderating impulse."

Moyer also had worked to adopt out-of-court conflict resolution strategies and to bring interpreters into the courts for non-English speakers and the hearing impaired. He assisted other courts across the nation and world, including those in China, Argentina and Ukraine.

State law says "the judge having the period of longest total service upon the court shall be the acting chief justice" if the chief justice is absent or disabled. Pfeifer, considered the all-Republican court's most liberal voice, now is the longest-serving justice on the court; he was first elected in 1993.




Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press

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Dearest Mary,

I just stumbled across the very sad news of Tom's unexpected passing. He was both a good and a great man. I will never forget the circumstances of our first meeting many years ago.

He was going to Argentina for some kind of bar confrerence and I was going for business related to Argentine participation in a Hungarian World's Fair (which never came to pass). I had been to Argentina twice before, this was his first time. We were accidental seat mates. I...

Dear Mary, we just learned of Tom's death today. We are very sorry for your loss, he was too young and should have enjoyed retirement for many years to come.Please accept our condolences.

Karin and Eckehard Eisermann, from former C-Dock

Dearest Mary

I just learned of Tom's death. I am so sorry. My love and prayers go out to you. Call me or send an e-mail when you feel up to it.

Love,
Carol Danter
[email protected]
760-417-1147

Mary, Some of our fondest memories at CIC include you and Tom. Our sincere sympathy. Tom and Dot Bishop

My deepest sympathy to you and your family. Justice Moyer will be missed by many, he was a compassionate, caring man and he did so much for Ohio. It pretty much says it all when others are having troubles and a man such as the Chief steps up and takes the time to offer his wisdom and advice. While I was at the Court he wrote me a note before brain surgery and his wisdom and caring helped me through this ordeal. I still have the note he gave me and I will always remember what he did for...

Intelligence, integrity, honesty, fidelity, fairness, compassion, character, there are so many words to describe Chief Justice Moyer and the extraordinary effort he put into his position for the good of all Ohioans and the institution he served so well. Those of us privileged to know him, and the many who never got to meet him, have all had our lives made better by the Chief. I would hope that the Supreme Court Building he championed and saw to fruition could bear his name as both a memorial...

WE ARE SENDING OUR LOVE, PRAYERS,&CONDOLNCES TO THE MOYER FAMILY,FRIENDS,&ALL WHI KNEW JUSTICE MOYER.

Dear Mary:Our prayers are with you and your family.We will miss Tom Sincerely Chuck and carolyn Petree

My condolences to Mrs. Moyer and family.

We met as bar review students always sitting at the same small table in the Neil House basement. Then sharing an office along with Jason Blue working as AGs under Bill Saxbe. The exemplary traits of character and outlook were evident then.

As a member of the Ethics and Discipline committee of the CBA, I heard Justice Moyer's strong remarks at the beginning of each of our yearly seminars on ethics during my 4 years on the...