WILMINGTON, Ohio — Clinton County’s long-serving judge, John William “Tim” Rudduck, is embroiled in a scandalous controversy following allegations of misconduct related to his son’s judicial campaign. The state disciplinary board for lawyers alleges that Rudduck, who has served as a judge in Clinton County for 39 years, used his position to endorse and promote his son’s candidacy, violating the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct.
Rudduck, admitted to the Ohio bar in 1976 and currently the sole judge for the Clinton County Court of Common Pleas, allegedly used his personal Facebook page to publicly support his son, Brett Rudduck, during his run for the Clinton County Municipal Court seat. Brett was competing in the Republican primary against David Henry and Judy Gano following the unexpected death of Judge Michael Daugherty.
Between March 12 and May 2, 2023, Rudduck’s Facebook page featured multiple posts endorsing Brett. On March 12, a woman posted a picture of Brett’s campaign flyer on Rudduck’s page, with the flyer reading, “Elect Brett Rudduck Municipal Court Judge” and urging people to “Vote Rudduck for Judge May 2, 2023.” Rudduck shared this post publicly, the state complaint reads.
The allegations also detail a series of posts in April, including a photo on April 17 of a former client of Brett’s endorsing him, and an April 25 post linking to a Wilmington News Journal article about Brett. In a post dated March 21, Brett, dressed in a suit alongside his family in campaign t-shirts, was tagged by Rudduck with the judge sharing a comment that implied Brett’s opponents had only their last names as qualifications.
The most serious claims accuse Rudduck of abusing his judicial prestige. On April 26, 2023, when Facebook restricted Brett’s account for violating community standards, Rudduck posted a screenshot of the restriction message, suggesting it was a politically motivated act. He wrote, “Odd this would occur just before election day and without just cause.”
Rudduck further escalated the issue with a lengthy public post on the same day, defending Brett against numerous allegations, including accusations of child abuse and drug misuse. He claimed these were part of a broader attack on his family, saying, “Throughout the latest judicial campaign, the entire Rudduck family, not just the candidate running for office, has been targeted and attacked.”
The post included a detailed rebuttal to these allegations, stating, “No one addicted to drugs, legal or illegal, especially those who have recovered, should be stigmatized or afraid to seek treatment or punished for doing so.” He also addressed an audio recording where Brett, allegedly under the influence, made inflammatory statements, blaming the recording’s distribution on political adversaries.
The Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct explicitly prohibits judges from publicly endorsing or opposing other candidates for public office and from abusing the prestige of their office. The complaint highlights that Rudduck’s actions violate these provisions, potentially undermining public confidence in the judiciary’s integrity and impartiality.
The Ohio Supreme Court has set a hearing for November 8 to decide whether the Judge will be disciplined, up to a law license revocation and removal from the bench.
