There are a number of rumors floating around the Mahoning County Courthouse about judges and their

There are a number of rumors floating around the Mahoning County Courthouse about judges and their futures.
Some are true, some aren't, and others make for interesting speculation.
First, as reported earlier this week, Judge Robert G. Lisotto of common pleas court filed the necessary paperwork for a disability retirement. I haven't spoken to the judge since February, but my thoughts are with him and his family.
It usually takes about 30 to 90 days to process disability retirements. The consensus is his retirement should be official sometime in June or July.
That will leave a vacancy on the common pleas bench.
The selection of a new judge will be made by Gov. Bob Taft, a Republican. Judge Lisotto is a Democrat. Of course, the governor will appoint a Republican. Judge R. Scott Krichbaum is the only Republican on the county's common pleas bench.
There already is much speculation about who would replace Judge Lisotto.
Court insiders say the job is Juvenile Court Judge Theresa Dellick's if she wants it. The question is: Does she?
There is talk that Mahoning County Republican leaders, who will recommend three finalists for the job to Taft, want to wait until after the November general election to fill the vacancy. The thought is Judge Dellick could slide into the spot should she lose to Democrat Wade W. Smith Jr. in the election.
Another scenario has Judge Dellick accepting the appointment and the Republicans finding someone else to run for juvenile court judge.
Mark Munroe, Mahoning Republican vice chairman, strongly denies both rumors. While she attracted controversy over her funding battles with the county commissioners, Judge Dellick is the favorite at this point to be re-elected.
Munroe said the judge will win, and the party hasn't even thought about asking Taft to wait until after the November results are in before making an appointment. Besides, Munroe said, the timing of filling the vacancy is based on the approval date of Judge Lisotto's disability retirement.
Lisa Antonini, Mahoning Democratic chairwoman, said the party is focused on ousting Judge Dellick, the only Mahoning County Republican incumbent on the November ballot.
"She's going to be in a fight," Antonini said of the judge. "It's going to be up to Wade to raise enough money, but she'll be in a fight."
Another name that has come up as a possible replacement for the judge is Maureen Sweeney, who lost by 10 percentage points in 2002 in her bid to defeat Probate Court Judge Timothy P. Maloney.
Also being given consideration is Ted Roberts, the former president of the Mahoning County Bar Association. The general consensus among political insiders is Roberts would be a good judge, but his past election failures would probably make Republicans look elsewhere.
Political insiders say Judges Scott Hunter or Joseph Houser, both county court judges, would be excellent choices to replace Judge Lisotto.
Because both are successful in other occupations -- Hunter runs a title company, and Houser is an attorney -- in addition to the money they earn as county court judges, considered part-time jobs, they probably wouldn't be interested in the post, political insiders say.
The other rumor floating around the courthouse is Judge Joseph J. Vukovich of the Ohio 7th District Court of Appeals will retire at the end of the year. The rumor continues that Judge Maloney, a Democrat, would be selected by Taft to replace Judge Vukovich so Republicans could appoint the probate court judge.
This one is completely false, Judge Vukovich said.
The judge says he has no plans to resign before his term expires Feb. 8, 2009.
"There's no chance in hell, absolutely none, that I'll resign during this term," he said. "This is the most satisfying job I've ever had in my life."
But Judge Vukovich said there is a 50-50 chance that he won't run for re-election after this term expires.