April 21, 2009
Supreme Court Visits Columbiana County Wednesday
What: The Supreme Court of Ohio will convene and hear oral arguments in Lisbon in Columbiana County as part of the Off-Site Court program. Columbiana County high school students will attend the sessions, and some students will participate in a press conference with the Justices before oral arguments.
When: Wednesday, April 22, 2009
- Students attend press conference at 8:15 a.m. with Supreme Court Justices.*
- Oral arguments begin at 9 a.m.* Four cases will be argued, with about 30 minutes devoted to each case.
- Student question-and-answer debriefing sessions with attorneys involved in each case will occur after each argument.
*Please allow at least 10 minutes to check equipment through court security.
Where: Columbiana County Courthouse, 105 S. Market St.; and Columbiana County Juvenile Court, 260 W. Lincoln Way, Lisbon.
- Student press conference in Judge Pike’s common pleas courtroom, second floor (courthouse).
- Oral arguments in Judge Tobin’s common pleas courtroom, second floor (courthouse).
- Post-argument student debriefings for cases one and three will take place in Judge Pike’s common pleas courtroom, second floor (courthouse).
- Post-argument student debriefings for cases two and four will take place in Judge Baronzzi’s juvenile courtroom (juvenile court).
Case Information: Previews of all four of the cases set for oral argument can be found at: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/PIO/oralArguments/.
Photos/Sound Recording: Still photography without flash and audio tape recordings are permitted in the courtroom during oral arguments. However, you must have prior authorization to do so. The authorization form can be printed from the Court’s Web site by going to: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/PIO/MediaRequestInfo/request.pdf.
Complete and fax the form to Chris Davey at 614.387.9259 no later than the end of business TODAY to obtain authorization. Please note that flash photography is prohibited in the courtroom during oral arguments. High-resolution photographs of the Justices for publication purposes, can be found at: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/PIO/news/images/justices/justices_highres.zip.
Video: Pool cameras operated by the Ohio Channel will provide full videotape coverage of all oral arguments. No other video cameras are permitted in the courtroom while the Court is in session. Local TV stations are welcome to record real-time video and audio during case arguments by connecting to an Ohio Channel multbox that will be just outside the courtroom. For technical specs to record from the multbox, contact the Ohio Channel at 614.995.5562. Streaming video of oral arguments can be viewed live on the Internet at www.supremecourt.ohio.gov or www.ohiochannel.org. All of the Court’s oral argument sessions since March 2004 are archived on the Internet. Live video interviews with attorneys or parties are permitted outside the courtroom before and after case arguments; however, please note that attorneys will be conducting student debriefing sessions immediately after their cases are argued.
Program Background: The Off-Site Court Program, initiated by Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer in 1987, 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 to observe the proceedings of the Supreme Court in person and to interact with justices, attorneys and court staff.
Selected students from throughout Columbiana County have been invited to participate in the program and have been provided curriculum material about Ohio’s judicial branch. Local attorneys have teamed with the educators to teach the specifics about the cases to be heard. Students from each participating school will attend one of the oral arguments. After their assigned case has been argued, each group of students will meet with the case attorneys for a debriefing.
The Columbiana County session will mark the 57th time the Supreme Court has heard oral arguments outside Columbus during the past 22 years. The program has enabled 32,530 Ohioans, 24,645 of them high school students, to observe the Supreme Court in action without leaving their communities.
Supreme Court Contacts: Chris Davey or Bret Crow, 614.387.9250
Columbiana County contacts: Terri Roberts, Columbiana County Common Pleas Court, 330.424.7777, extension 1115, or Amy Ondrejko, Columbiana County Common Pleas Court, 330.424.7777, extension 1109.