Judge Tracie Hunter Convicted of Felony

 

More than eight years after her felony conviction, former Hamilton County Juvenile Court judge Tracie M. Hunter should be indefinitely suspended from the practice of law, according to a recommendation to the Ohio Supreme Court.

The sanction aligns with punishment dished out to every other sitting judge convicted in felony cases, according to the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct, which made its recommendation on Monday. Hunter has been under interim suspension since 2014.

If Hunter objects, the Supreme Court would schedule the case for an oral argument. Ultimately, the discipline decision is made by the seven-member court.

In October 2014, Hunter was convicted of having an unlawful interest in a public contract, which is a fourth-degree felony.  It was related to giving confidential documents to her brother, a juvenile court employee who was in the process of being fired.

She was allowed to stay out of jail during her appeals but in July 2019, Hunter was dragged out of court by bailiffs to begin serving a six-month sentence.

After her release in October 2019, she successfully argued for a reduction in how much she’d have to pay in court costs, getting the $34,560 bill whittled down to $17,275.

In March, Hunter sued the director of the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct and the Disciplinary Counsel for the supreme court.

In the federal lawsuit, Hunter says she’s the victim of selective prosecution, retaliation and framing. She accuses the disciplinary committee of systematically dismissing complaints she filed against Joe Deters, the longtime Hamilton County prosecutor who is now on the Ohio Supreme Court.

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cincinnati.com