Former longtime Cuyahoga County resident Eric Brown, now of Columbus, isn’t on the Franklin County Democratic Party’s shortlist to be appointed a judge again by lame duck Gov. Ted Strickland.
Brown is among nine applicants for a bench in Franklin County’s Municipal Court District.
Strickland was defeated by Republican John Kasich on Nov. 2. But before Strickland leaves office, he could appoint Brown to the Muny Court bench.
Brown once served 14 years on the Mayfield School Board in Cuyahoga, then became a Probate Court judge down in Franklin County.
The same Brown was appointed by Strickland as chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. But Brown lost big time on Nov. 2 to Republican Maureen O’Connor, of Cleveland Heights in Cuyahoga. She defeated Brown decisively in Cuyahoga, Franklin and most other counties.
The Associated Press and other news media quote the Franklin County Democratic Party chairman as saying such losses don’t make a Brown a probable ballot victor to be elected if he gets appointed to the Muny Court bench. So the party is nominating other prospects.
Still, Strickland could appoint Brown. Who knows?
(And if not, Brown could move back to Cuyahoga and run for something?)


--David W. Jones