Some jurors were upset when Franklin County Municipal Judge Amy Salerno berated them for reaching the "wrong" verdict in finding a man not guilty of assault last summer. The Ohio State Bar Association is upset, as well.

Some jurors were upset when Franklin County Municipal Judge Amy Salerno berated them for reaching the "wrong" verdict in finding a man not guilty of assault last summer.

The Ohio State Bar Association is upset, as well.

The bar association has filed a complaint with the Ohio Supreme Court's disciplinary board accusing Salerno of misconduct and requesting that she be punished for her comments to jurors.

The bar's legal-ethics and professional-conduct committee accuses Salerno of violating the judicial ethics code by criticizing jurors, failing to promote confidence in the judiciary and failing to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

The bar association received six complaints about the conduct of Salerno, who did not respond yesterday to messages seeking comment.

Read the complaint filed against Judge Amy Salerno (PDF)

Following hearings, the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline will determine what, if any, punishment to recommend to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Salerno, a former state lawmaker who has served as a judge since 2005 and won re-election last fall, could face the suspension of her law license, which would remove her from the bench.

The Code of Judicial Conduct states: "A judge shall not commend or criticize jurors for their verdicts other than in a court order or opinion in a proceeding."

The complaint against Salerno involves her handling of the July 29-Aug. 1, 2013, trial of Joseph McGhee on assault and disorderly conduct charges.

Salerno admitted acting with surprise and telling jurors they returned the "wrong" verdict after their decision was announced in court. She also admitted telling jurors that prosecutors believed they had "a slam-dunk case" against McGhee.

The judge also told jurors that McGhee had a pending case in which he was charged with aggravated menacing and witness intimidation for allegedly threatening to shoot witnesses in his trial. The case was dismissed early this year at the request of prosecutors.

Facts about the second case were inadmissible in McGhee's trial and irrelevant to the not-guilty verdicts in his case, the bar complaint said. Some jurors were "quite upset" about being "berated and criticized" by Salerno, the complaint said.

Salerno then disqualified herself from handling the second case against McGhee because her remarks to jurors went on to receive national news coverage that exposed the judiciary to "ridicule and dishonor," the complaint said.

Salerno previously told The Dispatch that she apologized if her conduct offended jurors, to whom she said she shows " tremendous respect."

rludlow@dispatch.com

@RandyLudlow