Ohio’s Judges Lake County Clerk of Courts Faith Andrews Can Return Despite Staff Complaints

Faith Andrews, the Lake County Clerk of Courts, is permitted to resume work in her own location. The Ohio Supreme Court decided that judges from the county’s common pleas court “patently and unmistakably exceeded their jurisdiction” by ordering Andrews to work remotely all but one day each month in an unsigned 6-1 decision. Since May, the injunction has been in place due to complaints of poor management from Andrews’ own employees.

The court stated that “[the order] does not only guide Andrews in the performance of her duties; it actually precludes Andrews from completing her duties and so practically removes her from her elected office.” “The standard and method outlined by statute must be followed if Andrews is to be removed from office.” By supporting then-President Donald Trump, the Republican Andrews beat longtime incumbent Democrat Maureen G. Kelly in the 2020 election.

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However, numerous workers claimed the clerk had not bothered to grasp the fundamental responsibilities of her position during a following 3News inquiry. Additionally, she was charged with making fun of judges and prosecutors, verbally assaulting employees, and even believing that her predecessor was attempting to “sabotage” her. An unnamed employee told WKYC, “We tried to help her understand the profession for at least a year.”

And after a while when everything seemed to be going well, she would have a meltdown, and problems would escalate. The local judges “had some ability to direct her performance,” according to Andrews, who later complained to the state Supreme Court, but their actions prohibited her from carrying out the duties she was elected to accomplish.

In an effort to avoid a conflict of interest, Lake County Prosecutor Charles E. Coulson requested commissioners to engage an independent firm to defend Andrews. To date, the case has cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars. The group of justices from both parties who sided with Andrews did not weigh in on the clerk’s actual actions; rather, they focused on whether the judges had the authority to penalize the clerk in the manner they did. Patrick F. Fischer, a Republican, voiced his disagreement but did not submit a written opinion.