Mary Wiseman
Encyclopedia
Mary L. Wiseman is an American lawyer
and judge
from the state
of Ohio
. On October 22, 2007, Governor Ted Strickland
appointed her to the Montgomery County
Court of Common Pleas.
and her law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law. A Democrat
, Wiseman was elected in 1998 to the Dayton City Commission, serving until 2002 when she declined to run for a second term. A lesbian
, she was the first openly gay person elected to public office in Dayton.
During her first year on the bench, Wiseman presided over the high-profile trial of China Arnold, a mother found guilty of burning her month-old baby to death in a microwave oven. In a case that made headlines around the world, Wiseman sentenced Arnold to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Wiseman is admitted to the bar
in Ohio, Arkansas, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
, Sixth Circuit
, Seventh Circuit
, Eighth Circuit
and Ninth Circuit
, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States
. She is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the American Bar Association
.
Wiseman sought election to the post in 2008. She looked set to face a challenge in the Democratic
primary from District Court judge James D. Piergies, but he withdrew in January 2008 following a controversy over allegedly homophobic comments he had made during the campaign. She faced Margaret M. Quinn, a Republican
but ended up winning by 53% to 47%.
to Barack Obama
for appointment to the seat.
Law of the United States
The law of the United States consists of many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the United States Constitution, the foundation of the federal government of the United States...
and judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. On October 22, 2007, Governor Ted Strickland
Ted Strickland
Theodore "Ted" Strickland was the 68th Governor of Ohio, serving from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing ....
appointed her to the Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Ohio
Montgomery County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 535,153 in the 2010 Census. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada. The county seat is Dayton...
Court of Common Pleas.
Early life and political career
Wiseman received her bachelor's degree from Ball State UniversityBall State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
and her law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Wiseman was elected in 1998 to the Dayton City Commission, serving until 2002 when she declined to run for a second term. A lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, she was the first openly gay person elected to public office in Dayton.
State judicial service in Ohio
With her appointment to the bench, Wiseman became the first openly gay judge in the history of the state of Ohio.During her first year on the bench, Wiseman presided over the high-profile trial of China Arnold, a mother found guilty of burning her month-old baby to death in a microwave oven. In a case that made headlines around the world, Wiseman sentenced Arnold to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Wiseman is admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in Ohio, Arkansas, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is one of two United States district courts in Ohio and includes forty-eight of the state's eighty-eight counties. Appeals from the court are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit at Cincinnati The...
, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio is the federal trial court for the northern half of Ohio...
, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina...
, Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
, Seventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
, Eighth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Arkansas* Western District of Arkansas...
and Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. She is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
.
Wiseman sought election to the post in 2008. She looked set to face a challenge in the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
primary from District Court judge James D. Piergies, but he withdrew in January 2008 following a controversy over allegedly homophobic comments he had made during the campaign. She faced Margaret M. Quinn, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
but ended up winning by 53% to 47%.
Consideration for federal judicial service
In 2009, Wiseman was shortlisted for a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Ohio's two U.S. Senators – Sherrod Brown (D–Lorain) and George Voinovich (R–Cleveland) – convened a bipartisan commission to recommend candidates for the vacancy, with Wiseman emerging as one of three finalists. In July 2009, Brown and Voinovich recommended U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy BlackTimothy Black
Timothy Seymour Black is a United States judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.- Early life and education :...
to Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for appointment to the seat.