Sixth District Court of Appeals Judge Charles Sulek.

Sixth District Court of Appeals Judge Charles Sulek.

Judge Charles Sulek’s favorite part of the Thomas J. Moyer Judicial Center isn’t the courtroom or grandeur of the law library.

When he sat as an assigned judge for oral arguments for the first time at the Supreme Court of Ohio on March 26, he most looked forward to visiting his old cubicle where he worked as a judicial attorney from 2015-2018 under now retired Justice Terrence O’Donnell.

“I got to look out over the river there and over COSI,” said Judge Sulek, who was since elected to the Sixth District Court of Appeals in 2022. “That’s what I remember the most -- and walking in the hallway seeing all the different busts up on the wall of the great people that made an impact on the law in Ohio history.”

Judge Sulek said his time at the Court made him a better attorney and he continues to use skills he learned, on the bench today. Justice O’Donnell, who retired in 2018, was in part what inspired Judge Sulek to the bench.

“I think Justice O'Donnell made a lasting impact on the Court. He certainly made a lasting impact on me. He is a good man and was a great judge to learn from,” said Judge Sulek. “It will be an awesome experience knowing that I got to work and learn from him and to get to sit on the same bench that he sat on is truly an honor.”

The justice was not Judge Sulek’s first mentor. That was his uncle, the first attorney he’d ever known. Since his passing when Judge Sulek was young, he looks fondly on the time they spent together and how they could now be bonding over his success in the law.

“I’ve always thought about him as I’ve gone on to practice law – how cool it would’ve been to have him guide me as I went down this path,” said Judge Sulek.

Judge Sulek sat in place of Justice Joseph T. Deters, who recused, in State of Ohio vs. Mark Gasper. The case is an appeal of a home care worker convicted of rape arguing for a new trial and suppression of evidence.The Ohio Constitution gives the chief justice authority to select an appellate judge to hear a Supreme Court case when there is a justice recusal.

Though Judge Sulek never expected to return to where his mentor once sat, he was ready for the opportunity, and prepared for the case as he did when he previously worked at the Court.

“I return with many fond memories of my time working there for Justice O’Donnell, and it’s just an honor to be able to sit for my assignment,” said Judge Sulek.