ward village monroeville argued october decided november petitioner denied trial disinterested impartial judicial officer guaranteed due process clause fourteenth amendment compelled stand trial traffic offenses mayor responsible village finances whose fines forfeitures costs fees provided substantial portion village funds tumey ohio statutory provision disqualification interested biased judges afford petitioner sufficient safeguard constitutional relevance petitioner later tried de novo another entitled impartial judge first instance pp ohio reversed remanded brennan delivered opinion burger douglas stewart marshall blackmun powell joined white filed dissenting opinion rehnquist joined post bernard berkman argued cause petitioner brief niki schwartz franklin eckstein argued cause respondent brief joseph dush justice brennan delivered opinion pursuant ohio rev code ann et seq authorizes mayors sit judges cases ordinance violations certain traffic offenses mayor monroeville ohio convicted petitioner two traffic offenses fined ohio appeals huron county ohio app ohio ohio three justices dissenting sustained conviction rejecting petitioner objection trial mayor also responsibilities revenue production law enforcement denied trial disinterested impartial judicial officer guaranteed due process clause fourteenth amendment granted certiorari mayor monroeville wide executive powers chief conservator peace president village council presides meetings votes case tie accounts annually council respecting village finances fills vacancies village offices general overall supervision village affairs major part village income derived fines forfeitures costs fees imposed mayor thus income contributed total village revenues revenue importance village legislation threatened loss village retained management consultant advice upon problem conceding revenue produced mayor provides substantial portion municipality funds ohio held nonetheless fact mean mayor impartiality diminished thereby act disinterested fashion judicial capacity ohio disagree conclusion issue turns ohio acknowledged whether mayor regarded impartial judge principles laid tumey ohio convictions prohibition law violations rendered mayor north college hill ohio reversed appeared addition regular salary mayor received fees costs levied alleged violators held certainly violates fourteenth amendment deprives defendant criminal case due process law subject liberty property judgment judge direct personal substantial pecuniary interest reaching conclusion case fact mayor shared directly fees costs define limits principle although mere union executive power judicial power said violate due process law test whether mayor situation one offer possible temptation average man judge forget burden proof required convict defendant might lead hold balance nice clear true state accused plainly possible temptation may also exist mayor executive responsibilities village finances may make partisan maintain high level contribution mayor situation official perforce occupies two practically seriously inconsistent positions one partisan judicial necessarily involves lack due process law trial defendants charged crimes situation wholly unlike dugan ohio ohio deemed controlling mayor xenia ohio judicial functions limited executive authority city governed commission five members including mayor exercised legislative powers city manager together commission exercised executive powers circumstances held mayor relationship finances financial policy city remote warrant presumption bias toward conviction prosecutions judge respondent urges ohio statutory provision ohio rev code ann supp disqualification interested biased prejudiced judges sufficient safeguard protect petitioner rights argument persuasive first highly dubious provision available raise petitioner broad challenge mayor village respect prosecutions fines may imposed provision apparently designed objection particular mayor specific case circumstances municipality might warrant finding prejudice case ohio emphasis added means accused must show special prejudice particular case statute requires much protects little even petitioner might utilized procedure make objection ohio passed upon constitutional contention despite petitioner failure invoke procedure circumstance see raley ohio may heard urge ohio erred holding established fourteenth amendment claim respondent also argues unfairness trial level corrected appeal trial de novo county common pleas disagree procedural safeguard guarantee fair trial mayor nothing suggest incentive convict diminished possibility reversal appeal event may state trial procedure deemed constitutionally acceptable simply state eventually offers defendant impartial adjudication petitioner entitled neutral detached judge first instance accordingly judgment ohio reversed case remanded proceedings inconsistent opinion ordered footnotes whereas legislation known county law passed general assembly greatly reduces jurisdictional powers mayor courts january whereas restrictions may place hardship upon law enforcement personnel village surrounding areas endanger health welfare safety persons residing village whereas provisions legislation may cause reduction revenue village additional burden may result increased taxation curtailment services essential health welfare safety village ordained village monroeville ohio section services management consulting firm midwest consultants incorporated sandusky ohio employed conduct survey study ascertain extent effects county law law enforcement loss revenue village monroeville ohio said village prepare future operations village safeguard health sic welfare safety citizens question presented record constitutionality mayor participation adjudication punishment defendant litigated case elects contest charges intimate view unconstitutional permit mayor similar official serve essentially ministerial capacity traffic ordinance violation case accept free voluntary plea guilty nolo contendere forfeiture collateral like justice white justice rehnquist joins dissenting ohio mayor judged case direct financial stake outcome tumey ohio therefore controlling extend justify striking ohio system face must assume either every every case disregard oath administer justice contrary constitutional commands happen often enough warrant prophylactic per se rule urged petitioner make neither assumption respect ohio mayors respect similar officials hence leave due process matter decided basis question understand posture case us affirm judgment