Competence, Diligence, and Cooperation

(A) A judge shall perform judicial and administrative duties competently and diligently and shall comply with guidelines set forth in the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio. (B) A judge shall cooperate with other judges and court officials in the administration of court business. Comment [1] Competence in the performance of judicial duties requires the legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness, and preparation reasonably necessary to perform a judge’s responsibilities of judicial office. [2] A judge should seek the necessary docket time, court staff, expertise, and resources to discharge all adjudicative and administrative responsibilities. [3] Prompt disposition of the court’s business requires a judge to devote adequate time to judicial duties, be punctual in attending court and expeditious in determining matters under submission, and take reasonable measures to ensure that court officials, litigants, and their lawyers cooperate with the judge to that end. [4] In disposing of matters promptly and efficiently, a judge must demonstrate due regard for the rights of parties to be heard and to have issues resolved without unnecessary cost or delay. A judge should monitor and supervise cases in ways that reduce or eliminate dilatory practices, avoidable delays, and unnecessary costs. [5] In discharging the obligation to cooperate with other judges and court officials in the performance of administrative duties, a judge must place the public’s interest in an efficient and well-run court system above any personal or partisan interests. Where good faith differences of opinion exist, unrelated to personal or partisan interests but relative to the administration of court business, the duty to cooperate requires the judge to engage in efforts to reach compromise for the good of the court but does not require compromise. Comparison to Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct