Michael H. Watson

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Watson was born in Akron, Ohio. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University in 1983 and his Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School in 1987. He was a member of the United States Air Force from 1975 to 1978 and was in the Ohio Air National Guard from 1978 to 1984. He rose to the rank of E5.

Watson was a bailiff/law clerk of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas from 1983 to 1988. He was in private practice in Ohio from 1988 to 1991 and was chief legal counsel of the Ohio Department of Commerce from 1991 to 1992. He was a deputy chief legal counsel in the Office of the Governor of Ohio from 1992 to 1994 and was chief legal counsel from 1994 to 1995. Watson was a judge to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas from 1996 to 2003. He was a judge to the Tenth District Ohio Court of Appeal from 2003 to 2004.

President George W. Bush nominated Watson to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on April 6, 2004,{{cite web |title=Presidential Nomination: Michael Harrison Watson |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/nominations/1773.html |website=White House Archives}} to the seat vacated by Judge James L. Graham. He was confirmed by the Senate on September 7, 2004, he received his commission on September 10, 2004.

Since 2018, Watson has presided over the Ohio State University abuse scandal lawsuits, which has stalled in mediation for over 3 years and favored OSU defendants{{cite news |last=Marshall |first=Colleen |title=Plaintiffs claim OSU bargaining in bad faith with Strauss victims |date=5 May 2021 |url=https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/new-lawsuit-claims-osu-bargaining-in-bad-faith-with-strauss-victims/ |work=NBC4i |access-date= 23 September 2021}}{{cite web |last=Langer |first=Jessica |last2=Orozco |first2=Jessica |title=Strauss victims respond to Ohio State's proposed settlement program |date=6 May 2021 |url=https://www.thelantern.com/2021/05/strauss-victims-respond-to-ohio-states-proposed-settlement-program/ |website=The Lantern |access-date=14 September 2021}} In September 2021, it was revealed that Judge Watson failed to disclose that his wife has a licensing agreement with the university to sell OSU flags; the judge offered to hear arguments requesting his recusal.{{cite news |last1=Kovac |first1= Marc |last2=Hendrix |first2=Sheridan |date=2021-09-13 |title=Judge gives plaintiffs in Ohio State Strauss case until Sunday to request his recusal |url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/09/13/federal-judge-gives-plaintiffs-option-recuse-him-strauss-cases/8316905002/ |newspaper=The Columbus Dispatch |access-date=14 September 2021}} Watson is also an adjunct faculty member at OSU, which would typically be a disqualification from presiding over his employer. The plaintiffs and Strauss survivors in these lawsuits are frustrated with the Judge and OSU.{{cite web |last=Szilagy |first=Sarah |editor-last=Orozco |editor-first=Jessica |title=As deadline nears, Strauss victims seek accountability, not Ohio State's settlement program |date=2 September 2021 |url=https://www.thelantern.com/projects/project/as-deadline-nears-strauss-victims-seek-accountability-not-ohio-states-settlement-program/ |website=The Lantern}} However, the Sixth Circuit later ruled that none of these grounds required Judge Watson's recusal.{{multiref2 |{{cite news |last=Franko |first=Kantele |date=2022-09-14 |title=Court revives lawsuits against Ohio State over sex abuse |url=https://apnews.com/article/sports-health-education-ohio-lawsuits-8a3167b13035516f68d72dd29b13dee7 |work=AP News |access-date=2024-08-23}} |{{cite web |title=Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio at Columbus. Nos. 18-cv-00692 (21-3972); 19-cv-04746 (21-3974); 19-cv-02462 (21-3982); 21-cv-02542 (21-4070); 21-cv-02562 (21-4128) —Michael H. Watson, District Judge. |url=https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/23a0030p-06.pdf |website=United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit}}}} Ohio State appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States; the justices upheld the sixth circuit's ruling.{{cite news |last=Siemaszko |first=Corky |date=2023-06-26 |title=Supreme Court rebuffs OSU and enables the remaining sex abuse victims to sue |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/supreme-court-rebuffs-osu-enables-remaining-sex-abuse-victims-sue-rcna87519 |work=NBC News |access-date=2024-08-23}}

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{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio}}|years=2004–present}}

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Category:1956 births

Category:Living people

Category:Capital University Law School alumni

Category:Judges of the Ohio District Courts of Appeals

Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Category:Ohio National Guard personnel

Category:Ohio state court judges

Category:Ohio State University alumni

Category:Politicians from Akron, Ohio

Category:United States Air Force non-commissioned officers

Category:United States district court judges appointed by George W. Bush