Ohio Supreme Court agrees judge in contempt

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court agrees that a southwest Ohio juvenile court judge is in contempt for barring a newspaper’s reporters from her courtroom.

The court today upheld an appellate court’s finding against Hamilton County Judge Tracie Hunter. The conflict had begun over The Cincinnati Enquirer’s coverage of six teens charged in 2012 with badly beating a man in suburban North College Hill.

Hunter began barring Enquirer reporters because the newspaper used juveniles’ names in coverage. The Enquirer gained a ruling from the 1st District Court of Appeals to allow its reporters in Jude Hunter’s courtroom, and that was followed by the court’s July contempt order against Judge Hunter.

The judge appealed, saying she was following juvenile court rules and denying she was in contempt.