Law professors specializing in ethics say they can not discern any legal reason that a Franklin County judge initially refused to name Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther as the official who had improperly contacted her on how to resolve a pending city court case, leading to her eventual recusal.
The case involves the city of Columbus’ attempt to shutter a new intercity bus depot on the West Side through a nuisance complaint and zoning code enforcement. Franklin County Environmental Judge Stephanie Mingo informed attorneys for both sides in mid-October that she had been contacted by a third party whom she identified only as “an elected official” trying to influence the outcome.
The official told the judge, according to a transcript where Mingo’s recollection was recorded: “I know that you care about the community. I care about the community. This Greyhound station is a problem for the community. We really need you to do the right thing for the community and shut it down.”
Mingo told attorneys for the city and the bus companies that operate out of the station that she had an ethical duty to disclose the call under the state’s rules of judicial conduct. But Mingo would not disclose who had made the call, saying in the transcript that she had spoken with “disciplinary counsel” for guidance, “and she’s under no obligation at this point in time to name that official.”