June 15, 2010
Justices O'Donnell, Cupp Participate in National Science School for Judges
Supreme Court of Ohio Justices Terrence O’Donnell and Robert R. Cupp joined judges from across the country this week at a genetic medicine and discrimination seminar at the National Judges’ Science School in Bethesda, Md.
Sixty judicial leaders – including state supreme court chief justices and associate justices – were invited to attend the training at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource (ASTAR) Program – a national program designed to prepare judges to preside over cases involving complex scientific issues.
One of the objectives of the “Genomics, Medicine & Discrimination” seminar included providing an overview of the state of the science characterizing genetic technologies, their relationship to forensic and medical advances, and their vulnerability to precipitating illegal discrimination. A series of lectures and presentations covered information about the human genome, gene therapy, admissibility and expert witness qualification, and state genetic privacy.
Justice O’Donnell said he was “interested to learn about all the complex issues presented by advances in genetic medicine and the prospects of discrimination based on a genetic test.” Justice Cupp thanked ASTAR and the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH for “educating judges and raising questions about the impact of scientific principles that seemed like fiction only a few short years ago.”
To date, 233 judges nationally (36 from Ohio) have completed the curriculum to attain ASTAR Fellow status, which involves completing 120 hours of coursework on complex science and technology issues and a scientific literature research project.
A federal grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice provided the funding for this week’s training.
Ohio and Maryland spearheaded ASTAR, which offers standardized training to judges around the country to handle the increasing volume of complex, high-tech cases on court dockets. Throughout the year, judges participate in sessions focused on forensics, agricultural science, reproductive medicine and computer science. Participating judges have made five-year commitments to continue their scientific training through ASTAR.
The group observed a moment of silence in honor of the late Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer, an ASTAR founder, vice chairman of the ASTAR board of directors, and chairman of the National Resource Judge Project Committee, who was scheduled to make a presentation at the seminar.
Learn more about the ASTAR program.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.