MOUNT VERNON — Local attorney Scott Pullins, under fire from the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline of The Supreme Court of Ohio, filed a blanket order of disqualification against Knox County Common Pleas Court Judge Otho Eyster.
In a document filed with The Supreme Court of Ohio, Pullins asks that Eyster not sit on any cases where Pullins is either a party or counsel while the seven-count complaint against Pullins is still active.
In the request, Pullins said because of “extensive publicity concerning Judge Eyster’s grievances, Mr. Pullins has received comments from clients and potential clients stating that they do not believe that Judge Eyster would be fair to them and their cases or potential cases if Mr. Pullins was representing them in front of Judge Eyster. It is well established that a litigant should believe that they will have a fair trial. … Furthermore, Mr. Pullins no longer believes that Judge Eyster will be fair to him and any client that he represents in front of his court during the course of these disciplinary proceedings.”
Pullins has a pre-trial hearing date set for June 15 in a case involving his wife, Kathryn Elliott Pullins, and Apple Valley Property Owners Association. In addition, Pullins said he is the attorney of record in three other cases before Eyster.
Eyster said he will file a written response but declined to comment further.
