Located in the Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom of the Ohio Union on the Campus of the Ohio State University, honored guests pay tribute to the late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, Thomas J. Moyer.
GUEST SPEAKERS:
Dean Alan C. Michaels
E. Gordon Gee
Judge Robert M. Duncan
Chief Justice Christine Durham
Judge Sheila Farmer
Barbara J. Howard, Esq.
Nancy Rogers, Esq.
Members of the OSU Glee Club (Musical Interlude)
Stephen Anway, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, former clerk to Chief Justice Moyer
Steven C. Hollon
Dr. Richard Ellsworth, Pastor Emeritus, Central College Presbyterian Church
Chief Justice Moyer died unexpectedly on Good Friday, April 2, 2010, at age 70. He was planning to retire at the end of the year after 24 years of service as the head of the Ohio Judiciary, and he was the dean of the national community of Chief Justices, having served longer than any of his peers. With his untimely departure, we were deprived of many more years of leadership in service of the cause of improving the administration of
justice. We know this because Chief Justice Moyer had given every indication that he would be active in retirement, supporting further reforms of the judicial system. We know also that he would have been effective in these efforts because he was so very effective in every other area of his career.
Chief Justice Moyer served in numerous national leadership positions, including president of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ), chair of the CCJ Task Force on Politics and Judicial Selection, and co-chair of the CCJ Committee on Emergency Preparedness in the Courts. He also served as vice chair of the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center, a national consortium to prepare judges for
managing the resolution of disputes that present complex science issues, and he was on the board of Justice at Stake. But this was a man who cared not for titles and chairs except insofar as they were a means to the end of making the world a better place. It is indisputable, that he did this.
Among the judicial reforms and improvements witnessed these past three decades in which Chief Justice Moyer played a part are:
- The rise of alternative dispute resolution in the U.S. as a routine and viable judicial tool.
- The enhanced professionalism of judging with increased and standardized training and continuing education.
- The criminal sentencing reform movement.
- The national move toward greater public access and transparency in court proceedings.
He also worked with lawyers and judges in other countries in the development of independent judiciaries. He helped draft the Constitution of Ukraine and also worked with judicial leaders in China, Korea, Argentina, and Chile. Of course, his contributions were due to his possession of the usual requirements for success: a tireless work ethic,
a gifted intellect, and a creative mind. But ultimately the accomplishments of Thomas J. Moyer the Chief were made possible by the character of Tom Moyer the man, soft spoken and humble, courteous and kind, always conscious of others and concerned for the greater good.
