Plaintiff challenges Ohio Chief Justice over alleged violations in judicial disqualification process

A legal battle has erupted over the impartiality of judicial proceedings in Ohio, as a resident takes on the state’s Chief Justice. Matthew A. Thompson filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on February 5, 2026, against Sharon L. Kennedy, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio. The case highlights concerns about due process and judicial authority within Ohio’s legal system.

Thompson’s complaint arises from ongoing domestic relations proceedings in Lorain County, where he alleges that his rights as a parent have been compromised by coercive court orders and repeated contempt actions leading to incarceration or threats thereof. He contends that these actions have occurred without due process guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment because the presiding judge continued to exercise authority despite being disqualified through affidavits filed by Thompson. These affidavits were submitted on multiple occasions—August 2023, August 2024, July 2025, and September 2025—challenging the impartiality of the trial judge under Ohio Revised Code § 2701.03.

Thompson accuses Chief Justice Kennedy of failing to provide constitutionally reliable determinations regarding these disqualifications. He argues that her decisions excluded significant factual allegations without proper adjudication and applied categorical exclusions not found in state law. Moreover, he claims that no evidentiary hearings were conducted, and he was barred from responding to submissions made by the trial judge.

The plaintiff seeks declaratory and injunctive relief from the federal court to ensure compliance with constitutional standards in judicial proceedings affecting his liberty and parental rights. Specifically, Thompson requests that any restoration of judicial authority comply with Division (E) of R.C. § 2701.03 and seeks an injunction preventing Kennedy from permitting judges to preside without meeting these statutory requirements.

This case underscores broader issues related to procedural due process and access to impartial tribunals under both state and federal law. Thompson asserts that Ohio’s exclusive mechanism for challenging judicial authority is administered unreliably and lacks avenues for appeal or review, effectively denying him meaningful access to justice.

Representing himself pro se, Matthew A. Thompson stands alone in this legal endeavor against Sharon L. Kennedy. The case is overseen by Judge Nugent with Magistrate Judge Greenberg also involved in proceedings under Case ID: 1:26-cv-00290-DCN.