The Ohio Supreme Court has suspended Sandusky County Common Pleas Judge Jon Ickes for two years, removing him from the bench immediately and without pay after a string of misconduct findings that have left Ohio residents furious.
According to reporting by TiffinOhio.net, the court found Ickes committed 10 violations of judicial conduct rules. Among the most serious were his stepson, Fremont police detective Christian Ortolani, who worked on criminal cases that later appeared before Ickes.
Ickes did not step aside. Two convictions were ultimately reversed over concerns about judicial bias, including the case of Leroy Stratton, who was convicted of raping an 18-month-old child. Stratton had to be tried again before a visiting judge and was once more sentenced to life without parole.
But the conflict of interest was only part of what shocked readers. The court found Ickes used an obscene nickname for the child rape case for months and exchanged inappropriate messages with staff from the bench during the trial.
The court also detailed Ickes’s treatment of a pregnant employee. He told her to wait for the “titty fairy” and, after she objected, asked whether they could instead talk about the “butt fairy.”
Other findings included quoting a racial slur from Blazing Saddles within earshot of a Black defendant, firing a Nerf gun at employees in the courtroom, insulting staff and calling a probation officer a “dumbass.”
Ohio Asks Why Two Years Is Enough
The situation has gone down like a lead balloon amongst locals in Ohio. Over on the Ohio subreddit, one commenter concluded, “This man is vile,” which rather set the tone. Things didn’t get prettier from there.
“Only 2 years?” one commenter asked.
Another wrote: “He should be disbarred. 2 year suspension isn’t enough.”
What makes the story even more explosive is that Ickes is still on the November ballot seeking another term.
He is the Republican nominee, but because Ohio common pleas judicial races are nonpartisan in the general election, voters will not see a party label beside his name. His opponent is independent Fremont attorney Kimberly J. Ontko.
The disciplinary case was already public long before the 2026 primary, yet no Republican challenged Ickes and no Democrat filed for the seat.
The Ohio Supreme Court ultimately rejected a disciplinary board recommendation that would have allowed Ickes to avoid any actual time off the bench. Now he is suspended until 2028, but still asking voters for another term. For many Ohio residents, that is the part that refuses to go away.
