Feb. 25, 2009
Supreme Court Announces Cases to be Heard in Columbiana County Session
The Supreme Court of Ohio announced today that it will hear four cases in Columbiana County on Wednesday, April 22, as part of its semiannual Off-Site Court program.
Oral arguments will be held before the seven Justices of the Supreme Court at 9 a.m. at the Columbiana County Courthouse, 105 S. Market St., Lisbon. Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer will preside and be joined by Justices Paul E. Pfeifer, Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Maureen O’Connor, Terrence O’Donnell, Judith Ann Lanzinger and Robert R. Cupp.
The cases include: State v. Hunter, Case No. 2008-0661 (Cuyahoga County); Niskanen v. Giant Eagle, Case No. 2008-0895 (Summit County); Kauffman Racing Equipment v. Roberts, Case No. 2008-1038 (Knox County); and Williams v. Spitzer Autoworld Canton, Case No. 2008-1337 (Stark County). Court documents related to all four cases can be accessed via the Supreme Court’s Web site at: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/Clerk/ecms/default.asp. Summaries of these cases will be released soon.
Chief Justice Moyer said the four cases were selected specifically because of their subject matter and/or proximity to Columbiana County. “We attempt to schedule cases on Off-Site Court days that have local or regional ties or that deal in legal concepts with which students can relate or have learned about through their government classes,” he said.
Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge David Tobin, who extended the invitation for the Supreme Court’s visit, said local students will gain a unique perspective of how a court of last resort deliberates. “It is a wonderful educational opportunity for the students who will hear the cases and a wonderful opportunity for the attorneys to be able to meet and mingle with the Justices,” he said.
“Judge C. Ashley Pike, Judge Thomas Baronzzi and I are all very excited to have the Supreme Court of Ohio visit,” Judge Tobin continued. “It is an honor and privilege that the court has chosen to come here to hear cases. In addition, we are very happy to be able to show off our newly renovated court facilities. Our staff, especially Amy Ondrejko and Terri Roberts, have been working diligently with the bar association to prepare for the visit. We are all looking forward to it very much.”
Initiated by Chief Justice Moyer in 1987, the Off-Site Court program has gained national recognition as a model program for education about the judiciary. The program enhances students’ understanding of the legal system by providing an opportunity for hundreds of students to attend and observe the proceedings of the Supreme Court in person and to interact with Justices, attorneys and Court staff.
Public and private students from throughout Columbiana County as well as one home-schooled student will participate in the program. Participating schools include: Beaver Local High School, Columbiana County Career Center, Columbiana Exempted High School, Heartland Christian School, Crestview High School, East Liverpool High School, East Liverpool Christian School, East Palestine High School, Leetonia High School, Lisbon David Anderson High School, Minerva High School, Salem High School, Southern Local High School, United Local High School, Wellsville High School and West Branch High School.
Students and teachers will study the curriculum material before the session, including summaries of the specific cases to be argued. Local attorneys have partnered with educators at each participating school to explain Ohio’s judicial system and to review the case materials. On the morning of April 22, selected students will attend a special briefing during which they may ask questions and interact with Justices of the Court.
Students from each participating school will be assigned to attend one of the oral arguments. After their assigned case has been argued, each group will meet with the case attorneys for a debriefing and discussion of the legal issues in the argument they just heard.
“The bar is very pleased to be a co-sponsor of this event with the Common Pleas Court,” Don Humphrey, Columbiana County Bar Association president, said. “We look forward to meeting the Justices and to an event that will be historic for our county. We thank the Court for its willingness to come here, giving the bar members and the high school students this wonderful opportunity.”
Chief Justice Moyer said the Columbiana County session will mark the 57th time the Supreme Court has heard oral arguments outside Columbus during the past 22 years. “The idea of this program is to bring the Court closer to the public and especially young people,” he said. “Our off-site sessions have enabled 32,530 Ohioans, 24,645 of them high school students, to observe the Supreme Court in action without leaving their communities.”
A video with background information about the program may be viewed online by visiting the Supreme Court Web site at www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/VisitorInfo/offsiteCourt/default.asp.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250