March 23, 2010
Four Cases on Schedule for Supreme Court Huron County Session
The Supreme Court of Ohio confirmed today the four cases it will hear in Huron County on Wednesday, April 21, 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 Huron County Courthouse, 2 E. Main St., Norwalk. 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: Gildersleeve v. State, Case No. 2009-1086 (Cuyahoga County); Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. v. Givaudan Flavors Corporation, Case No. 2009-1321 (Cuyahoga County); Cordray v. The International Preparatory School, Case No. 2009-1418 (Cuyahoga County); and In re Adoption of J.A.S. and J.N.S., Case Nos. 2009-1695 and 2009-1980 (Lorain County). Access court documents related to all four cases. 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 Huron 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.
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 them an opportunity to attend and observe the proceedings of the Supreme Court in person and to interact with Justices, attorneys and Court staff.
Students from Bellevue, Monroeville, Norwalk, Norwalk Catholic and Willard high schools and the EHOVE Career Center will participate. The students and their teachers will receive curriculum materials to study before the session, including summaries of the specific cases to be argued. Local attorneys will team with educators at each participating school to explain Ohio’s judicial system and review case materials.
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.
Chief Justice Moyer said the Huron County session will mark the 59th time the Supreme Court has heard oral arguments outside Columbus during the past 23 years.
View a video with background information about the program.
Supreme Court contacts: Chris Davey or Bret Crow, 614.387.9250.
Huron County contacts: Court Administrator Linda Stower or Judge James W. Conway, 419.668.6162.