The Joint Task Force to Review the Administration of Ohio’s Death Penalty, established by Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor in 2011 in her first state of the Judiciary Address as Chief Justice, released its Final Report & Recommendations May 21. The initial charge to the Task Force was “to review the 2007 American Bar Association report titled “Evaluating Fairness and Accuracy in State Death Penalty Systems: The Ohio Death Penalty Assessment Report” and offer an analysis of its findings; assess whether the death penalty in Ohio is administered in the most fair and judicious manner possible; and determine if the administrative and procedural mechanisms for the administration of the death penalty in Ohio are in proper form or in need of adjustment.” But the Task Force was not to consider the appropriateness of the death penalty in Ohio.
A dissenting report was filed by the prosecutors of Hamilton and Franklin County, and a member of Attorney General DeWine’s staff.
The report will be reviewed by Chief Justice O’Connor and the President of the Ohio State Bar Association, and will be sent to the General Assembly.