Hey, Dispatch, we cite you; you should cite us...

You know, papers get annoyed when new media like bloggers recycle their materials without attribution.  You'd think they'd be sensitive to doing the same thing.

From my post on Sunday:

According to The Ohio State Constitution: A Reference Guide (real sexy title, I know) (2004) Steven Steinglass & Gino Scarselli, Greenwood Publishing Group at pg. 145, the most well-known impeachment case in Ohio history (and only one I could find quickly) was early in Ohio's history.  In 1808, the Ohio House of Representatives impeached a sitting Supreme Court justice and a Common Pleas Judge for ruling (for the first time in Ohio history) an act of the General Assembly unconstitutional.  The judges were one vote shy in the State Senate from removal of office.

Steinglass & Scarselli's book agrees with my analysis that the term "misdemeanor" in Ohio's constitution refers to the broad definition as "misdeeds," instead of a strict category under Ohio's criminal statute. 

From today's Dispatch:

The constitution says an officeholder can be impeached "for any misdemeanor in office," but that doesn't necessarily refer to a crime, said Steven F. Huefner, an associate law professor at Ohio State University, and Steven H. Steinglass, a law professor and dean emeritus at Cleveland State University. Rather, "misdemeanor" in this context refers more generically to any misdeed, and that ultimately is defined by the General Assembly, they said.

Steinglass said the most notable impeachment case in Ohio was brought in 1808 against George Tod, a Supreme Court justice, and Calvin Pease, a common pleas court judge.

They both were impeached by the House for declaring a law involving the right to a trial by jury unconstitutional, but each was acquitted by one vote in Senate trials.

Gee, I wonder where Mark Niquette and Jim Siegel got the idea to talk to these particular constitutional law scholars? 

Granted, I did just cite their book, but you'd think the paper could admit that it was this blog that brought this argument to the table or tipped them off to Professor Steinglass and Huefner's scholarly work.  Think it's just a coincidence that the Dispatch went out and interviewed these particular professors two days after we posted about them?  Me, either.

Oh, and Prof. Steinglass and Huefner, you'll welcome for me pimping your book with the most boring title ever.  I bet it's become a real hit at the Statehouse law library now.