Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Amy Salerno was recently reprimanded by the Ohio Supreme Court for her comments to the jury after an acquittal. At the conclusion of a jury trial where the defendant was found not guilty of several criminal misdemeanor charges, Judge Salerno told the jurors that they were wrong for acquitting the defendant. Judge Salerno also revealed additional details about the case to the jurors and the fact that the defendant was facing additional charges.
The Ohio Supreme Court determined that Judge Salerno's conduct violated two judicial rules. The first concerns integrity and impartiality. The second concerns commenting on jury verdicts. Generally speaking, judges should only comment on cases through official court orders or opinions.
The full opinion of the Ohio Supreme Court is available here.