COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court says a judge shouldn’t have scolded jurors for issuing a verdict she believed to be wrong.
The court concluded Wednesday in a public reprimand that Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Amy Salerno violated a rule requiring judges to behave in ways to promote the judiciary’s integrity and impartiality. It says she also violated a rule barring judges from commenting on jury verdicts except in a court order or opinion.
Jurors in Salerno’s courtroom issued a not-guilty verdict in 2013 in a misdemeanor assault case. Several jurors complained to the court about how Salerno told them they “got this wrong.”
The court says Salerno’s comments subjected the state’s judicial system to criticism and ridicule.
A message left Wednesday for Salerno wasn’t immediately returned.
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