Jefferson County students get first-hand look into Ohio’s Supreme Court
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RAYLAND -- Jefferson County students were gifted the practically once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Ohio Supreme Court in action Wednesday morning as part of the latter's Off-Site Court program.
Students were bused into Buckeye Local Junior and Senior High School to see the Supreme Court's seven justices enter public session and perform three hearings, complete with oral arguments, in the school's auditorium.
This was the 82nd session of the program, which has the dual intention of showing the public how the judiciary branch functions and increasing interest in law careers among Ohio youth. The program occurs twice per year and aims to reach each of Ohio's 88 counties, making the visit to Jefferson County a distinctive occasion.
Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy inaugurated the event, which began with a Q&A between Buckeye Local students and the justices. She said to students, "Our profession needs smart, young people, like yourselves, to come home and serve in your community."
Following a brief history of the settlement of Ohio and the institution of its first courts, Kennedy spoke on the "shortage of lawyers that serve our communities." She said that 75 percent of Ohio's lawyers serve in only the seven largest of the state's 88 counties.
"That leaves only 25% of the state's attorneys to represent the legal needs of others in 81 counties, including here (in Jefferson County)," Kennedy said. "Six-point-five million people live in those 81 counties, with far too few attorneys. Jefferson County has 50 private practice attorneys to serve the legal needs of 63,681 residents."
Stating that a county is considered legally underserved if it has less than one attorney for every 700 people, Kennedy spoke on Ohio General Assembly's $1.5 million Rural Practice Initiative, which will pay for $50,000 of law school costs in exchange for a three-year commitment to an underserved Ohio community.
"We hope that, as you watch today, you are inspired to begin a lawyer and to return home to serve the legal needs of families and the less fortunate in your home county," she said.
Following the Q&A session were the hearings of three appeals cases, one criminal and two civil. The hearings dealt with police questioning the driver of a car registered to an owner with a suspended license, an easement's possible jurisdiction over herbicide and whether a death certificate is a public record.
Attending students were prepared for the program by reviewing materials on the Supreme Court and the day's specific cases with their teachers and a member of the Jefferson County Bar Association. After the hearings, students transferred into a debriefing session, during which they could ask questions from the different cases' representing attorneys.
The off-site program itself was established in 1987 by then-Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer, and the next program event will take place in the spring of 2024 in Jackson County. Lyn Tolan, public information officer for the Ohio Supreme Court, said that the program used to be hosted in counties' courthouses but is now hosted in schools, which draw better attendance and provide a better platform for youth.
In addition to the program being open to the public, every school district in Jefferson County was invited to attend, including Edison, Steubenville, Indian Creek, Toronto, Catholic Central, Jefferson County Christian School and Jefferson County Vocational School, as well as Harrison Central High School.
Among attending students from Buckeye Local were juniors Adam Blackwell, Sydney Snyder and Arielle Orban, who all were picked from their accelerated government class to be guides around the school for the lawyers and justices.
Snyder, who wants to be a paralegal, said before the event: "I'm really excited because it's something I've been interested in for a long time."
Sophomore Hailey Kovalski said, "I liked the Q&A with the justices. I thought it was really interesting learning some things about them."
Sophomore Robert Call had asked a question during the Q&A, inquiring about how the justices prevent their past experiences from distorting their decisions. Call, who has an interest in law and history, said, "I just wanted to know how they filter out their opinions just to focus on the real law."
Kennedy said before the hearings, "Students, I hope you take an opportunity after this event to thank your principal, teacher and the attorney volunteer for this unique educational experience that they have afforded you."
Kennedy herself thanked those who made the off-site visit possible, including Buckeye Local Principal Lucas Parsons and the school's staff, as well as Judge Michelle Miller of the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas and the Jefferson County Bar Association.
Parsons said the Supreme Court had planned to come to Buckeye Local in 2019, his first year as principal. The original plans were quashed by the coronavirus pandemic, but the Supreme Court reached back out to the school near the end of 2022 to begin where it left off.
"Our biggest goal is that the students walk away with a sense of how the actual law works in the United States," Parsons reflected before the event. "A lot of times, what (students) see on law is what they see on TV, ... so giving them an upfront and personal ability to see law in action is a fantastic thing for our educational system. ... If we can get the students involved now, that makes for better citizens in the future."
Parsons credited Judge Miller with spearheading the effort to bring the Supreme Court to Jefferson County. Miller herself recalled how she sent the first letter of request to the Supreme Court in 2015, the year she first took the bench in the court of common pleas.
Miller was aided in the program's extensive planning process by Laura Trifonoff, adult drug court coordinator and chief administrative officer for the Jefferson County Probation Department, and Kim Vinci, chief deputy clerk.
Vinci said that because the off-site program travels to each county and only occurs twice per year, it is unlikely that Jefferson County will host the program again in most individuals' lifetimes. For that, Trifonoff added, to be the host this year is a "big honor."
The event's strong police presence included local police chiefs, who were encouraged to attend. Captain Steve Rine of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said he appreciated the event, particularly the debrief, adding, "Overall, it's just a great experience for the kids to see how the (judicial) system works."
The hearings were livestreamed on the Ohio Channel and can be viewed online at ohiochannel.org. More information on the Supreme Court and the hearings can be found at supremecourt.ohio.gov.