“Judge Berry has had more than a month to take the honorable path and resign,” said Mathews. “The people of Ohio deserve a judiciary they can trust to be fair, unbiased, and beyond reproach. Judge Berry’s actions have fallen far short of that sacred trust, and now the legislature must act to defend the courts.”
Mathews says the comments break the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct, which mandates that a judge “shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary.”
Mathews said the judge directly violated the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct, including:
- Canon 1, Rule 1.2: Requires judges to uphold public confidence in the judiciary and avoid impropriety;
- Canon 2, Rule 2.3: Prohibits bias or prejudice on the basis of race;
- Canon 2, Rule 2.4: Forbids judges from allowing political or personal interests to influence their judicial duties;
- Canon 2, Rule 2.11: Addresses disqualification due to public statements reflecting bias or prejudice.
Berry was previously listed as an advisory board member on the Joe Burrow Foundation’s website. In a statement Friday night, the foundation said it has terminated a board member who “made inappropriate remarks in light of recent events and they are no longer associated with the Foundation. Their comments do not reflect our values or our mission.”
Berry could not be reach for comment. Berry told the Cincinnati Enquirer he does not “condone any type of violence on any human being.”
“I regret if I caused division,” he said. “That was not my intent. And I hope there can be peace.”