Retired Ohio chief justice joins alliance to preserve independent judicial branch

January 16, 2026 | Susan Tebben | Ohio Capital Journal

. . . Since leaving the center chair on the state’s highest court at the end of 2022 due to age limits, O’Connor has sat on task forces and international constitutional court advisory groups, and was a figurehead in an effort to change Ohio’s redistricting process from the current politician-led Ohio Redistricting Commission, to a citizen-led panel.

She left the court vehemently protective of the independence of the judiciary, and insistent that judges remain impartial and apolitical. She spent her career standing on the issues and fighting politicization of the judiciary, no matter who she might offend in the process … [I]t wasn’t a hard decision for O’Connor to join a new national effort called the Alliance to Protect Judicial Independence.

The group of more than 40 former state chief justices, brought together by the nonprofit group Keep Our Republic, plans to promote civic education and “safeguarding the constitutional balance envisioned by the Founders,” according to a press release announcing the group.

While active judges are ethically bound to remain impartial and be careful in expressing opinions to the public, the alliance of former judges has a different power. “We are liberated from that because we are no longer sitting judges and we can speak out,” O’Connor said.

An open letter also released by the alliance emphasizes the importance that judges answer to the rule of law, much differently than elected officials who serve a specific district or area. . . .