New Graphic Novels Available

Calling all Ohio social studies teachers—the Ohio Supreme Court is providing Ohio educators with a series of graphic novels, “Justice Case Files,” that may be used in civic education. The series includes six novels that may be used individually or as a set:
 

·        Case File 1:  The Case of Internet Piracy

·        Case File 2: The Case of Stolen Identity

·        Case File 3:  The Case of Jury Duty

·        Case File 4:  The Case of the Broken Controller

·        Case File 5:  The Case of the Cyberbully and

·        Case File 6:  The Case of No Pets Allowed

 

These illustrated stories take up cases involving young adults, and teach students about the role of the courts, the protections of the U.S. Constitution, and the importance of the rule of law.   For example, Case File 3 follows a new high school graduate’s experience as a juror, Case File 5 describes a young girl’s action in juvenile court for cyber-bullying, and Case File 6 presents the landlord-tenant problem of an immigrant family.   Created through the National Center for State Courts, the short graphic novels present issues vividly for students. 

As Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor says in the introduction:

By reading these graphic novels, you are learning some of the most important things that any American learns: how your government works, how you can protect your rights, and how important it is that you become an active and engaged citizen.

 

The Supreme Court of Ohio will make these novels available to all educators who request them.  The Court is developing lesson plans to show how the novels align with Ohio’s curriculum standards.  The novels and lesson plans are provided to educators free of charge.   We are also seeking volunteers from the bench and bar to visit in classrooms using the materials.

 

To receive copies, or more information, please contact Pierce Reed at ncscciviced@sc.ohio.gov or in Chief Justice O’Connor’s chambers at pierce.reed@sc.ohio.gov.

Thinking of International Cooperation

Just this week, a judge and nine lawyers from Afghanistan were able to watch oral arguments in four cases heard by the Ohio Supreme Court in the Thomas J. Moyer Judicial Center. Afterward, the group spent time with Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor discussing the differences between the U.S. and Afghan court systems.

Both the Ohio Judicial College and National Judicial College have sponsored programs that allow judges from the United States to periodically receive judges and attorneys from other countries and sponsor them in training. Judges from Ukraine, Russia, Libya, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, and Serbia have toured the nation’s court system, including here in Ohio and have marveled at our Supreme Court building. 

Visits have varied and have included more than judges. For example, members of the China International Economic Trade and Arbitration Commission learned about dispute resolution during a visit to Ohio in 2007. A 2009 Korean delegation studied the administration and use of jury trials. The Serbian delegation in 2012 learned about asset forfeiture, and Franklin County judges presented a program on commercial dockets to a Turkmenistan group. 

Twice in 1995, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Russia and Ukraine after the breakup of the Soviet Union to teach programs designed to introduce the U.S. legal system and encourage judicial independence. Many students were fascinated to hear that people believed in the rule of law and that American judges had no armies to enforce their opinions. They were surprised that we didn’t have to call party bosses to decide how to rule in a particular case. They were also amazed that someone could actually sue the government. 

So many times we take our system of law for granted. During this primary season, when politics seems to expose the rawer nerves of democracy, it’s not a bad idea to remember that when we are viewed from other places, we appear to be very fortunate and that the sharing of ideas benefits all of us.

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Judicial Votes Count

With so much focus by the national media about next year’s presidential election, it might be easy to overlook the fact that there’s an election this year. 

The Nov. 3 ballot includes 56 municipal court judicial races in 29 Ohio counties. 

Unfortunately, many voters will not complete their ballot because they won’t cast a vote in the judicial races. A major reason cited for this drop-off in voting is because of a lack of information about the candidates running for judge. 

JudicialVotesCount.org is a new website designed to provide voters with the information they need to make an informed decision in judicial races. The candidates have provided details about their legal background and why they are running for the judgeship.

The website also contains valuable information about the important role of judges and the duties of courts at all levels in Ohio – something that teachers might find useful in their classroom instruction.

The website was developed by a partnership among Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, the League of Women Voters of Ohio, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, the Ohio Newspaper Association, and the Ohio Association of Broadcasters.

Voters should consider adding JudicialVotesCount.org to their list of resources for future elections. It’s a good way to get quality information about judicial candidates.

A Focus on Families and Addiction

Ohio has 110 juvenile court judges who preside over some of the hardest decisions a judge has to make – those in cases of child abuse and neglect.

Many families who come before the judges are there because of problems that stem from addiction.

Juvenile court judges from 56 Ohio counties joined substance abuse treatment providers, child welfare advocates, and other community partners recently at a one-day symposium to discuss how parents and children in their communities are affected by addiction.

The Ohio Supreme Court, along with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities, assembled a group of community partners for the 2015 Judicial Symposium on Addiction and Child Welfare on June 23.

Each county team developed action plans to ensure that families receive treatment intervention and the judicial oversight, and support they need to continue their recovery.

Last year, common pleas court judges participated in a similar event.

A new video, “Let’s Treat it Together,” introduces an explanation of the science of addiction and the response of courts who are addressing a solution. Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor explains in the video how we all must work together on this problem. Let’s all join the chief justice in that call for action. The future of our children is at stake.

Addressing an Epidemic

Back in 1985 when I first became a judge and served in the Toledo Municipal Court, we had few drug cases other than marijuana. But over the next 20 years, we saw drugs of choice change from those of powder and crack cocaine to Oxycontin. Today, we are faced with an epidemic that takes the lives of hundreds of Ohioans each year – opiate abuse involving prescription pain medication and illegal drugs such as heroin.

On June 30, more than 800 of Ohio’s judges and others concerned about the impact this epidemic has on their courts and in their communities came to Columbus for the Ohio Judicial Symposium on Opiate Addiction.

Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor helped to open the one-day event that explained the consequences of addiction and offered information on promising judicial practices leading to new methods of treatment for offenders. Each team of the 83 counties represented returned to their communities with a plan to find specific solutions.

Many courts have begun to address this serious problem by using drug courts, which bring together court and treatment personnel to work collaboratively in assisting defendants with their addiction issues by treatment instead of jail or prison. The drug courts are seeing results with reduced recidivism and improved treatment for drug offenders, and with measurable cost savings. Court News Ohio recently visited the drug court at Fairfield County Municipal Court. You can watch the video here:

There’s still much to be done to stop the alarming trend of illegal drug use and death due to opiates. The actions that will be taken as a result of the Ohio Judicial Symposium on Opiate Addiction are steps in the right direction.

A Cultural Exchange

On April 29, I had an enjoyable dinner with seven Libyan judges who had spent the day in Columbus, touring the local courts and observing oral arguments at our Supreme Court. The judges came to Ohio as part of a three-week visit sponsored by the government of Libya to learn about the American system of justice. Following their professional training program, these judicial delegates will return to Libya with new ideas based on their experiences abroad.

At the dinner, I discovered that this is a time of great promise for Libyans. The State of Libya is located in northern Africa and has a population of more than 6 million. Since 2011, with the death of Muammar Gaddafi and his regime, Libya has been governed by a temporary constitution and is undergoing political reconstruction and reform. The judges told me that the new members of the commission charged with drafting the consitution had recently been announced and that they were eager for the completion of its work. The document will be put to a referendum when a new constitution is completed. The people of Libya will have a say.

Justice Lanzinger with Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor and Libyan delegates and guests

The Libyan judges join a special group of visitors. The Ohio Supreme Court has worked with lawyers, judges, legislators, and government officials from other countries to help develop independent judiciaries and train judges for more than 20 years. I, myself, was part of a delegation to Ukraine in 1995, and we have also had visitors from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, and Serbia. The personal contact between judges of different cultures cannot be overestimated, and I am happy to have been part of the conversation with our colleagues from Libya.

The Judicial Oath of Office and New Justices

Did you know that a judge or justice is required to take an oath of office before they begin  to serve? The oath of office states:

“I, (name), do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Ohio, will administer justice without respect to persons, and will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all of the duties incumbent upon me as (name of office) according to the best of my ability and understanding.”

According to the Ohio Revised Code, justices of the Supreme Court take the oath of office before the first date of their official term.  Ohio judges from all other courts, on the other hand, may take the oath of office on the first date of their official term.  All judges and justices must to sign a judicial oath, which is then filed with the clerk of court.

But what you may not know is that there may be a separate ceremony before the public administration of a judge's oath. And the private ceremony may actually be the official occasion. For example, because a justice must be sworn in by a currently sitting justice, Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor will administer the oath to William O'Neill on December 27 in Cleveland. Afterwards, former Justice Alice Resnick will swear him in before a public audience. And even though he takes the oath on that day, his six-year term of office does not begin until the clock strikes midnight on January 2, 2013.

 

In contrast, when a justice is appointed mid-term, as was former Justice Yvette McGee Brown, in 2010, her opponent, Sharon Kennedy, who won the general election, automatically became a justice as soon as the votes were certified.  Justice Kennedy’s term expires in two years and to receive a full term she would run again in 2014.  Justice Evelyn Stratton is retiring at the end of the year before her term expires, and so her successor, who will be named by the governor, must also run for a full six-year term in 2014.

And so, the Supreme Court of Ohio will begin 2013 with three new justices.

 

Buckeye Girls State Welcomes Court Majority

The four women who are justices of the Supreme Court of Ohio will speak to 125 girls who are juniors in high school at the 66th session of Buckeye Girls State. Every year, girls from across Ohio attend this week-long program designed to educate them about the duties, privileges, rights and responsibilities of good citizenship, which this year will be hosted by the University of Mount Union in Alliance.

Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor is the first woman to hold the chief justice position in Ohio history. Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton just announced she will retire at the end of the year and has served as a justice since 1996. I am in my second term on the court, although I have been a judge since 1985. And when Justice Yvette McGee Brown joined the Ohio Supreme Court in January 2011, the women outnumbered the men on the Supreme Court for only the third time in the court’s history.

In an hour session each of us will speak briefly about the Power of One and how one person can make a difference and answer questions about our life experiences. We look forward to meeting these fine students.

Inspired by Rosa Parks Day, the justices spoke of the Power of One at an event in December. Watch the video here.

Supreme Court Justices Have Different Backgrounds

Although many people think that justices on the Supreme Court of Ohio have already served as judges, it may surprise you to know that not everyone comes to our court after serving as a judge. Right now, the only requirement for any judgeship – including the Supreme Court – is six years of experience as an attorney.

I’ve been fortunate enough to be the only person ever elected to every level of the court system: the municipal court, common pleas court, appeals court and now the Supreme Court. Nearly all the other justices have also had judicial experience before arriving at our Court. Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, and Justices Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Terrence O’Donnell and Yvette McGee Brown were trial judges. Justices O’Donnell and Robert Cupp were appellate judges.

The non-judicial government experience among us also varies. Chief Justice O’Connor served in the executive branch as lieutenant governor and director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. As a county commissioner Justice Cupp was also part of the executive branch. Justice Paul Pfeifer and Justice Cupp were members of the General Assembly, the legislative branch. This means that Justice Cupp has served in all three branches of government.

As you can see, our backgrounds differ. By combining our varied experiences, we can bring a better perspective to the cases that come before the Court.

State of the Judiciary is judicial branch’s version of State of the State

Today is the State of the State, an annual speech given by the governor about the challenges and opportunities facing Ohio. It’s the Buckeye version of the annual State of the Union speech the President gives.

Did you know that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio delivers a similar address every September? It’s called the State of the Judiciary.

Every judge in every court in Ohio is invited to hear what the Chief Justice thinks are the most important issues confronting the judicial branch. The speech occurs at the same time as the annual meeting of the Ohio Judicial Conference, which is the association of judges throughout the state.

Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor gave her first State of the Judiciary last year. To learn more and view a video, click this link:
http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/PIO/news/2011/SOJ_090811.asp.