More
than 500 students from 11 schools in Richland County heard one of three oral
arguments at Mansfield Senior High School. You can watch a video of the
students’ experience here.
But
before you click the video and see the process that allows the justices to hold
an official court session outside of Columbus, you may be interested in a bit
of history.
In
the court’s very early days, there were only 3 Supreme Court “judges” instead
of 7 justices. And there was no separate
courthouse in which to hear cases. Instead, the judges rode throughout the
state on horseback. They called this travel “riding the circuit.” The judges
carried law books along with clothing in their saddlebags, and they stayed
overnight in homes of local residents when they travelled to a county.
By
1834, Supreme Court judges rode more than 2,000 miles each year and covered 72
counties across the state. Those pioneer judges really needed an automobile!
Fast
forward more than 100 years, and you now see the court again going out to
Ohioans. I enjoy our twice-a-year journey because the Off-Site Court Program
gives students a chance to see us in action and directly experience oral
arguments. And as a 21st century
justice, I’m glad we don’t spend those hours on horseback.
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