Sept. 4, 2009
Ohio Judicial College Course Covers
Victims,’ Defendants’ Rights
The tough balancing act judges face in preserving the rights of defendants and respecting the rights of victims during a trial will be the subject of a judicial education course in two weeks.
Offered as an additional seminar at the conclusion of the Ohio Judicial Conference’s annual meeting on Sept. 17 and 18 at the Embassy Suites in Dublin, the Friday afternoon course features retired Superior Court of Arizona Judge Ronald Reinstein and Trudy Gregorie, national consultant and director of the Washington, D.C.-based Justice Solutions. The Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial College, Judicial Conference and National Center for State Courts serve as sponsors.
The first part of the course will include information on how courts can develop and apply practical strategies to balance these competing rights. The second part of the course will inform judges on how to take a leadership role in preserving victims’ rights while also complying with Ohio’s Canons of Judicial Conduct.
The course materials note that “judges play a pivotal role in creating constructive, creative dialogue and procedures that preserve victim rights before trial, during trial, in the sentencing and post-sentencing stages. When these rights are not preserved, empirical research demonstrates that public confidence in the courts and greater criminal justice community is eroded.”
As a separate session, judges need to register for this individual course by contacting the Judicial Conference’s Trina Bennington at 614.387.9761 or Trina.Bennington@sc.ohio.gov.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.