Robert E. Leach (December 18, 1911 – November 21, 1993) was a
Republican judge in the
U.S. State of
Ohio who sat as
Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court in 1978.
Biography
Robert E. Leach was born December 18, 1911, to Charles A. and Hazel K. Leach, and earned bachelors and law degrees from the
Ohio State University and its
Law School
A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction.
Law degrees Argentina
In Argentina, ...
. He was
Delta Theta Phi
Delta Theta Phi () is a professional law fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. Delta Theta Phi is the only one of the two major law fraternities to charter chapters (senates) in the United States at non-American Bar A ...
, and was the first editor of the ''Ohio State Law Journal'', 1934–1935.
[The Supreme Court of Ohio and The Ohio Judicial System - Robert E. Leach]
/ref>
Leach entered into private practice of law in Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
, until 1942, when he entered the U.S. Army, serving with the military police and in overseas service as special agent of the Counter Intelligence Corps, until 1946.[
After the war, Leach served as assistant city attorney. In 1951 he became chief counsel for ]Ohio Attorney General
The Ohio Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state, State of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio Attorney General is Republican Dave Yost.
History
The office ...
.[
In 1954, Leach won a two-year short term on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, and was re-elected to two six year full terms, serving until 1968. In 1969, Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes appointed him to the 10th District Court of Appeals.][
On September 25, 1970, John M. Matthias resigned from the Ohio Supreme Court, and Governor Rhodes named Leach as his replacement. He had to run for election for the remainder of Matthias's term in November 1972, and lost to Democrat ]Frank Celebrezze
Frank D. Celebrezze Jr. (November 13, 1928 – March 21, 2010) was an American politician and jurist of the Ohio Democratic party, having served as Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court.
He was elected as a judge of the Ohio Supreme Court in ...
. Celebrezze's election was certified and he took office December 8, 1972.[
Leach returned to private practice in 1973 in Columbus with ]Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease
Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP is an international law firm based in Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio. With approximately 400 attorneys working out of offices in California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, D.C., and London, the firm is a ...
. On August 20, 1978, Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court died. Rhodes again appointed Leach, and he chose not to run for the remainder of the term in November of that year, believing he was not up to the rigors of a statewide campaign. Celebrezze won election, and was seated December 10, 1978, ending Leach's service.[
Leach married Marie E. Chumbley on November 29, 1940. They had no children. Leach died in Columbus, November 21, 1993, and is interred in Union Cemetery.
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leach, Robert E.
Chief Justices of the Ohio Supreme Court
Ohio State University Moritz College of Law alumni
Lawyers from Columbus, Ohio
Ohio Republicans
1911 births
1993 deaths
20th-century American judges
20th-century American lawyers