Legacy Leads Judge to Ohio Supreme Court Bench

Second District Court of Appeals Judge Mary Katherine Huffman

Second District Court of Appeals Judge Mary Katherine Huffman

Judge Mary Katherine Huffman’s grandfather, father, uncle, two brothers, in-laws, cousins, and their children are all attorneys. In fact, her uncle and father served as county prosecutors of Miami and Allen counties at the same time. She said her family is quite “unoriginal” when it comes to choosing a career path.

The Second District Court of Appeals judge has always gone with the flow, letting it guide her to opportunities. After going to graduate school unsure of her career path, her brother talked her into going to law school and she embraced the role.

“It was never my intention to pursue a career in the law, and my brother will tell you, I’m the one that has embraced it the most,” Judge Huffman said. “He always said, Kate loves the law, she loves reading about it, she loves talking about it.”

After working in private practice for 12 years, Judge Huffman served for 21 years as a Montgomery County Common Pleas Court judge.

As a judge, Huffman said she tries to always remember that the decisions judges make affect people, and we must do all we can to get the decision right.

“We should do what we can as timely as possible to make certain that we’re appropriately applying the law and our discretion,” Judge Huffman said. “As a legal system, we shouldn’t add to that stress.”

Her passion for the law has even extended to teaching, something she has done for over 20 years. Judge Huffman teaches law at her alma mater, University of Dayton School of Law. The judge is also on the faculty of the National Judicial College and serves as a National Judicial Fellow for the American Bar Association. She said the mentorship and connection to students keeps her teaching.

“I have really enjoyed getting to meet these soon to be lawyers,” Judge Huffman said. “Just to get to watch them from law students looking at you with wide eyes to really competent people standing in front of you in the courtroom is so exciting.”

Judge Huffman is sitting on the Supreme Court of Ohio’s bench for two cases this week.

She was assigned in place of Justice Joseph T. Deters on State of Ohio v. Quantez Wilcox and in place of Justice Michael P. Donnelly on Disciplinary Counsel v. Carolyn Kaye Ranke.

The Ohio Constitution gives the chief justice authority to assign an appellate judge to hear a Supreme Court case when a justice recuses.

In the case of Disciplinary Counsel v. Carolyn Kaye Ranke, the previously suspended attorney from Cuyahoga County challenged the Disciplinary Counsel’s recommendation of disbarment.

State of Ohio v. Quantez Wilcox involved a claim of the constitutional right to confront witnesses being violated.

To prepare, the Judge Huffman read up on the cases and is excited to get to work on a Confrontation Clause case, something she teaches as a professor.

She looked forward to learning more about the process of how the Supreme Court of Ohio decides cases.

“As a lawyer the process by which the court decides cases is intriguing, and I am interested in seeing it up close,” Judge Huffman said.

When not on the bench, Judge Huffman said she enjoys traveling and recently took a trip to Vienna, Budapest, and Prague with her husband.

Judge Huffman also enjoys spending time with her family, children, and grandchildren.