Stephen Hardwick
@nonfinality.com
Appellate public defender. Poll worker. Peace Corps Tunisia. Low-level zoning chair. Wolverine in Buckeye land. Cyclist. Personal views only. On the payroll of the rain garden interests.
he/him
LOTR/poll worker feeds
https://www.eac.gov/help-america-vote
he/him
LOTR/poll worker feeds
https://www.eac.gov/help-america-vote
Pinned
Stephen Hardwick
@nonfinality.com
· Aug 26
I can’t over-emphasize how critical it is to have competent, rule-following poll workers with back bones. Now more than ever. To my attorney followers, we especially need you. To my non-attorney followers—you too.
Find out how to sign up where you are here: www.eac.gov/help-america...
Find out how to sign up where you are here: www.eac.gov/help-america...
This is one county north of Columbus, and it’s bad. Really, really bad. My best wishes & sympathy for the prosecutor whom this felony-court judge is credibly accused of stalking & sexually assaulting.
(They’ll have a visiting judge & special prosecutor from a different county.)
(They’ll have a visiting judge & special prosecutor from a different county.)
Delaware County judge accused of sexually assaulting assistant prosecutor
Delaware County Common Pleas Court James Schuck is accused of stalking an assistant prosecutor and pressuring her for sex.
www.dispatch.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:48 AM
This is one county north of Columbus, and it’s bad. Really, really bad. My best wishes & sympathy for the prosecutor whom this felony-court judge is credibly accused of stalking & sexually assaulting.
(They’ll have a visiting judge & special prosecutor from a different county.)
(They’ll have a visiting judge & special prosecutor from a different county.)
Every vote counts, Example No. 39,684,249: An Ohio school levy’s unofficial loss became a 3-vote win after absentee ballots received in the 4 days after Election Day (but postmarked before Election Day) & valid provisional ballots were counted.
www.dispatch.com/story/news/e...
www.dispatch.com/story/news/e...
Jonathan Alder school levy survives recount after initially feared loss
The Jonathan Alder Local Schools bond issue passed by three votes after a recount certified the results after it appeared to fail on election night.
www.dispatch.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Every vote counts, Example No. 39,684,249: An Ohio school levy’s unofficial loss became a 3-vote win after absentee ballots received in the 4 days after Election Day (but postmarked before Election Day) & valid provisional ballots were counted.
www.dispatch.com/story/news/e...
www.dispatch.com/story/news/e...
Anti-union think tank brings Janus action in common pleas court. Claim: 10-day annual period to request no dues contract breach as to ex-members. Court: It’s “specious” b/c l unfair labor practice claims go to state board & you say “unfair” a gazillion times
www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf...
www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf...
November 25, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Anti-union think tank brings Janus action in common pleas court. Claim: 10-day annual period to request no dues contract breach as to ex-members. Court: It’s “specious” b/c l unfair labor practice claims go to state board & you say “unfair” a gazillion times
www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf...
www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf...
I guess I’ll stay and read a bit.
November 22, 2025 at 2:46 AM
I guess I’ll stay and read a bit.
What a headline:
“Ohio judge who jailed kids for refusing to see dad is suspended”
www.dispatch.com/story/news/p...
“Ohio judge who jailed kids for refusing to see dad is suspended”
www.dispatch.com/story/news/p...
November 21, 2025 at 11:52 PM
What a headline:
“Ohio judge who jailed kids for refusing to see dad is suspended”
www.dispatch.com/story/news/p...
“Ohio judge who jailed kids for refusing to see dad is suspended”
www.dispatch.com/story/news/p...
Ohio makes this easy for our Supreme Court:
“The Supreme Court shall, until otherwise provided by law, consist of seven judges, who shall be known as the chief justice and justices.”
Sometimes, I’ll hear lawyers at OA hear refer to “associate justices,” but Ohio has no such thing.
“The Supreme Court shall, until otherwise provided by law, consist of seven judges, who shall be known as the chief justice and justices.”
Sometimes, I’ll hear lawyers at OA hear refer to “associate justices,” but Ohio has no such thing.
November 21, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Ohio makes this easy for our Supreme Court:
“The Supreme Court shall, until otherwise provided by law, consist of seven judges, who shall be known as the chief justice and justices.”
Sometimes, I’ll hear lawyers at OA hear refer to “associate justices,” but Ohio has no such thing.
“The Supreme Court shall, until otherwise provided by law, consist of seven judges, who shall be known as the chief justice and justices.”
Sometimes, I’ll hear lawyers at OA hear refer to “associate justices,” but Ohio has no such thing.
The Ohio Supreme Court today held that at least some of the restrictions on how judges can engage in politics violate the First Amendment. They also held that incarcerating children without authority is a disciplinary violation. 18 mo. suspense, 12 mos. stayed.
www.courtnewsohio.gov/cases/2025/S...
www.courtnewsohio.gov/cases/2025/S...
November 21, 2025 at 5:43 PM
The Ohio Supreme Court today held that at least some of the restrictions on how judges can engage in politics violate the First Amendment. They also held that incarcerating children without authority is a disciplinary violation. 18 mo. suspense, 12 mos. stayed.
www.courtnewsohio.gov/cases/2025/S...
www.courtnewsohio.gov/cases/2025/S...
Nominee for Most Under-Appreciated Lawyers—the ones who are really good at representing people charged with non-jailable offenses and misdemeanors.
Yes. I’m. It sure if it’s called a summons, a citation, or something else.
And to be clear, my experience is almost entirely with felonies. Misdemeanor and minor misdemeanors scare me because they’re a world of their own and tend to have a lot of local quirks.
And to be clear, my experience is almost entirely with felonies. Misdemeanor and minor misdemeanors scare me because they’re a world of their own and tend to have a lot of local quirks.
November 20, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Nominee for Most Under-Appreciated Lawyers—the ones who are really good at representing people charged with non-jailable offenses and misdemeanors.
Exhibit 1 for why we need a jury trial right for misdemeanors:
November 20, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Exhibit 1 for why we need a jury trial right for misdemeanors:
I learned one quirk of why our Columbus school district wants someone else to buy COTA bus passes for high school students.
If CCS buys the bus passes, state law says it has to do the same for private school students. But anyone else buying the passes could buy them only for public school students.
If CCS buys the bus passes, state law says it has to do the same for private school students. But anyone else buying the passes could buy them only for public school students.
November 19, 2025 at 12:44 PM
I learned one quirk of why our Columbus school district wants someone else to buy COTA bus passes for high school students.
If CCS buys the bus passes, state law says it has to do the same for private school students. But anyone else buying the passes could buy them only for public school students.
If CCS buys the bus passes, state law says it has to do the same for private school students. But anyone else buying the passes could buy them only for public school students.
My autocorrect has figured out that “Murderbot” is a proper noun
November 19, 2025 at 11:46 AM
My autocorrect has figured out that “Murderbot” is a proper noun
Oral argument advice from Murderbot
I just realized I don’t like the phrase “as far as I knew” because it implies how much you actually don’t know. I’m not going to stop using it, but. I don’t like it as much anymore.
November 19, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Oral argument advice from Murderbot
I address the Columbus City Schools BOE again. I don’t know if it makes a difference, but 2016 was the first time I was involved with facilities issues, & if they’d adopted a feasible “Master Plan” then, 1000s of more CCS kids would be in new schools now. But at least three more times since then…
BOE 2025-11-18
YouTube video by Columbus City Schools BOE
m.youtube.com
November 19, 2025 at 2:18 AM
I address the Columbus City Schools BOE again. I don’t know if it makes a difference, but 2016 was the first time I was involved with facilities issues, & if they’d adopted a feasible “Master Plan” then, 1000s of more CCS kids would be in new schools now. But at least three more times since then…
Insert “Cowtown” jokes here.
November 19, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Insert “Cowtown” jokes here.
“Abatements” and “administrative expenses” are the “waste fraud & abuse” of the left, at least when it comes to Columbus City Schools—an argument to do nothing effective.
Yeah, there’s some money there, but it won’t solve the problem.
Yeah, there’s some money there, but it won’t solve the problem.
November 19, 2025 at 1:56 AM
“Abatements” and “administrative expenses” are the “waste fraud & abuse” of the left, at least when it comes to Columbus City Schools—an argument to do nothing effective.
Yeah, there’s some money there, but it won’t solve the problem.
Yeah, there’s some money there, but it won’t solve the problem.
An #AppellateSky aside,
50 Ways to Lose your Writ:
Chorus:
Remedy at law, Shaw
Why were you late, Kate
You filed way too soon, June
Just get yourself screwed
Res judicata, Ata
You don't need to rewrite it
Just get it reviewed, Dude
And get yourself screwed
50 Ways to Lose your Writ:
Chorus:
Remedy at law, Shaw
Why were you late, Kate
You filed way too soon, June
Just get yourself screwed
Res judicata, Ata
You don't need to rewrite it
Just get it reviewed, Dude
And get yourself screwed
Make a new plan, Stan
November 17, 2025 at 10:42 PM
An #AppellateSky aside,
50 Ways to Lose your Writ:
Chorus:
Remedy at law, Shaw
Why were you late, Kate
You filed way too soon, June
Just get yourself screwed
Res judicata, Ata
You don't need to rewrite it
Just get it reviewed, Dude
And get yourself screwed
50 Ways to Lose your Writ:
Chorus:
Remedy at law, Shaw
Why were you late, Kate
You filed way too soon, June
Just get yourself screwed
Res judicata, Ata
You don't need to rewrite it
Just get it reviewed, Dude
And get yourself screwed
A particularly floofy floof on a lazy Caturday
November 15, 2025 at 8:09 PM
A particularly floofy floof on a lazy Caturday
TIL some #AppellateSky and legal writing trivia. In its announcements, the Ohio Supreme Court lists the justices according to which opinion they joined without regard to authorship. In its opinions, the court begins with the justice who authored the opinion.
www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf...
www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf...
![Screenshot of page one of an opinion. The list of justices is at the end.
SLIP OPINION No. 2025-OHIO-5010
U.S. ACUTE CARE SOLUTIONS, L.L.C., APPELLEE, v. DOCTORS COMPANY RISK
RETENTION GROUP INSURANCE COMPANY, APPELLANT.
[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it may be cited as U.S. Acute Care Solutions, L.L.C. v. Doctors Co. Risk Retention Group Ins. Co., "Slip Opinion" No. 2025-Ohio-5010.]
Civil law-Insurance-Arbitration agreements—The presumption of arbitrability
applies to a bad-faith insurance-handling claim when the arbitration agreement contains a broad clause and the underlying civil action could not be maintained without referring to the insurance policy or the relationship between the insurer and the insured Court of appeals judgment reversed.
(No. 2024-0450 —Submitted April 2, 2025—Decided November 6, 2025.)
Appeal from the Court of Appeals for Stark County, No. 2023 CA 00084, 2024-Ohio-605.
(All names following this are in small caps: HAWKINS, J., authored the opinion of the court, which KENNEDY, C.J., and
FISCHER, DEWINE, BRUNNER, DETERS, and SHANAHAN, JJ., joined.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:csutosnyppard6uedwwwegww/bafkreiasijuoe25zmoa22mvan35xemg5f3w2mhmkbp5shy7cg7422hvxb4@jpeg)
November 14, 2025 at 5:07 PM
TIL some #AppellateSky and legal writing trivia. In its announcements, the Ohio Supreme Court lists the justices according to which opinion they joined without regard to authorship. In its opinions, the court begins with the justice who authored the opinion.
www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf...
www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf...
This is a lot like the advice our city attorney gives area commissions about open meeting rules: “If you’re trying to get around the sunshine laws, don’t.”
Maybe it comes down to what seems to be Rule One of content moderation: Content moderation will sometimes be unfair. One price for using social media is that at some point, you will be moderated unfairly.
Rule Two: Any attempt to get around a rule by being cute is itself a rule violation.
Rule Two: Any attempt to get around a rule by being cute is itself a rule violation.
November 13, 2025 at 1:05 AM
This is a lot like the advice our city attorney gives area commissions about open meeting rules: “If you’re trying to get around the sunshine laws, don’t.”
I’ve criticized the Dispatch enough here that I should praise them for something right that they’re doing—they’ve started sending a reporter to the Zoning & Variance Committee meetings I chair, as well as to the Commission we report to.
Going To The Meetings is a basic tool of journalism.
Going To The Meetings is a basic tool of journalism.
November 12, 2025 at 7:17 PM
I’ve criticized the Dispatch enough here that I should praise them for something right that they’re doing—they’ve started sending a reporter to the Zoning & Variance Committee meetings I chair, as well as to the Commission we report to.
Going To The Meetings is a basic tool of journalism.
Going To The Meetings is a basic tool of journalism.
One thing I miss from WFH is having her jump up on my desk. (I’m home today on a doctor’s-orders sick day. I should be back to work tomorrow.)
November 12, 2025 at 6:56 PM
One thing I miss from WFH is having her jump up on my desk. (I’m home today on a doctor’s-orders sick day. I should be back to work tomorrow.)
Why has Mayor Ginther continued to win despite some serious problems?Ginther’s last opponent, a progressive, ran on a platform that included closing a summer splash pad used by kids from all over the city. Why? A wealthy person living downtown might also benefit.
www.dispatch.com/story/news/p...
www.dispatch.com/story/news/p...
November 12, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Why has Mayor Ginther continued to win despite some serious problems?Ginther’s last opponent, a progressive, ran on a platform that included closing a summer splash pad used by kids from all over the city. Why? A wealthy person living downtown might also benefit.
www.dispatch.com/story/news/p...
www.dispatch.com/story/news/p...
Here are three of the Columbus Dispatch’s Bluesky posts since yesterday. I wonder how much Starbucks and Chick Fil A are paying the Dispatch for each bite of the paper’s credibility.
November 12, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Here are three of the Columbus Dispatch’s Bluesky posts since yesterday. I wonder how much Starbucks and Chick Fil A are paying the Dispatch for each bite of the paper’s credibility.