Jon Ickes, the Republican-backed Sandusky County Common Pleas judge who was suspended by the Ohio Supreme Court over multiple judicial-conduct violations, will nevertheless remain on the November 3 ballot. The Supreme Court suspended Jon Ickes from practicing law for two years and immediately removed him from judicial office without pay, but a subsequent ruling determined that election officials could not remove his name from the ballot under Ohio law.
The disciplinary case against Jon Ickes involved 17 alleged rule violations, with the professional-conduct panel ultimately finding 10 violations established. The Supreme Court cited conduct including sexual harassment of a staff member, an inappropriate and unprofessional workplace environment, use of a racial slur within earshot of a Black criminal defendant, and conflicts of interest involving cases connected to his stepson.
Jon Ickes Suspended, But His Ballot Spot Survives
The Ohio Supreme Court’s August 19 decision was considerably more serious than the sanction initially recommended by the professional-conduct board. The board had recommended a one-year suspension that would have been fully stayed if Jon Ickes committed no further misconduct. The Supreme Court instead imposed a two-year suspension and removed him from judicial office without pay for the duration of that suspension.
Among the findings were that Jon Ickes sexually harassed a pregnant employee and fostered an inappropriate workplace environment. The court also found that he used vulgar and sexually suggestive language and referred to a racial slur he had used while quoting a film, which was overheard by a Black defendant. The Supreme Court said judges are held to a particularly high standard of ethical conduct.
And then came the part that sounds almost tailor-made for a political satire desk: Jon Ickes had been suspended from the bench, yet his name was still heading toward the ballot box. His opponent, Sandusky County Magistrate Kimberly Ontko, challenged his continued candidacy and asked the Ohio Supreme Court to intervene.
Jon Ickes Stays on the Ballot Despite Being Unable to Serve
On September 14, however, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that it could not order the Sandusky County Board of Elections to remove Jon Ickes from the November ballot. The court said the elections board had correctly rejected the election protest under state law. The ruling means Jon Ickes remains listed as a candidate for the Sandusky County Common Pleas Court position despite his current suspension from practicing law and serving as a judge.
The legal oddity creates an unusually awkward election situation: voters can encounter Ickes’s name on the ballot even though the disciplinary suspension prevents him from serving during the period of suspension. The Supreme Court’s ruling concerned whether his name could legally be removed from the ballot; it did not reverse the disciplinary findings or cancel his two-year suspension.
For Ickes, the November election therefore remains a story of two very different tracks — one judicial and one electoral. The disciplinary court has already imposed its sanction, while the election system has left his name in place. OGM News will continue following the ballot, the legal consequences and any further developments surrounding Jon Ickes as November 3 approaches.
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