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Strengthening Public Safety
Background checks with complete information are crucial for protecting the public. The most reliable criminal records database depends on a successful collaboration among Ohio law enforcement, clerks of courts, courts, and BCI.

A Look Back at 2023
New leadership, significant case rulings, and initiatives on child welfare and reentry shaped the year at the Supreme Court.

New Options for Domestic Violence Victims
Among the latest advances are laws that take domestic violence more seriously and give victims a greater voice. And services include a self-help website for seeking protection through courts and finding in-person legal guidance.

Roads to Justice for Rural Ohio
Three-quarters of Ohio attorneys are clustered in the state’s seven largest counties. That leaves only 25% of attorneys to locally represent people with legal needs in 81 counties. To deal with these needs, courts and legal aid groups in rural areas show flexibility and find inventive ways to assist.

New Laws Unlock Possibilities for Fresh Start
Those seeking to move forward from criminal convictions can now ask courts to seal or expunge more records, building prospects for employment, housing, education, and a better future.

On Behalf of Children
Courts rely on guardians ad litem to discover how cases, from truancy concerns to abuse allegations, impact a child’s life. Insights from GALs help judges and magistrates understand what’s best for a child.

Decades of Service
Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor’s departure from the Supreme Court of Ohio at the end of this month comes after 12 years as the elected chief justice, with 20 years of service to the Court. It’s a tenure stacked with admirable accomplishments and leadership likely to endure.

Gavel to Gavel
As December days fade, here’s a look back at major legal rulings and advances in services from the Supreme Court of Ohio in 2022.

Courts Commit to Love
Courthouse weddings have long been an option for those wanting a simpler and less costly ceremony. Over years of pandemic-driven closures and limitations on travel, courts gave couples an alternative aisle to walk down for their special day.

Storied Structure: Thoughtful Details Beautify Building Exterior
In nearly every depiction of the city of Columbus, you see the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center. Even though the distinctive white rectangular building has been home to the Supreme Court of Ohio since 2004, it’s still a mystery to many passersby. Here are highlights of the gorgeous features on the outside the building. But there’s nothing like seeing it in person. Try a visit in the summer and fall, which are superb times to walk around the exterior of this striking and historic piece of architecture.

The Whole Truth
There are lots of misconceptions about juries and jury duty. Here are 11 facts from court jury managers and former jurors about how juries really work.

Partners in Justice: Bailiffs
If you have questions in court, don’t know where to go or what to do, courtroom bailiffs are well equipped to help.

Tales of Online Court
Humorous, startling, and heartwarming. A look at the unexpected moments in virtual courtrooms.

Reflecting on 2021
In the past 12 months, the state’s courts continued to push forward in the new normal of video proceedings and other changes necessitated by COVID-19. The Ohio Supreme Court facilitated additional steps, including remote bar exams, grants to fund local technology upgrades, and virtual tours of the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center – all while hearing appeals, releasing the iCOURT task force report, and forging forward toward a statewide sentencing database.

Trauma and Recovery
For generations, military veterans have struggled in silence through the minefields of mental and emotional damage resulting from their service. With a growing awareness, more Ohio specialty courts are coming to their aid.

Senior Security
Making sure that older Americans are of free from abuse, scams, and poor administration of their finances and health isn’t a new pursuit. But as the nation ages, aid from the legal system becomes more critical.

Storied Structure: Elevator Lobby
The Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center’s main level, where most visitors enter, teems with lush architectural features, bronzed faces of history, and hearing rooms ornamented with wall-sized murals. Even while waiting for an elevator, one is surrounded with artistic depictions of the sources of Ohio’s prosperity.

COVID: Catalyst for Court Change
Looking back on the past 18 months in the courts, all paths led to the use of technology. And the pandemic opened a “gateway to modernization.” Those were a few themes from a statewide task force, which explored the recent successes and struggles in the judicial branch with a view toward the future.

Rethinking Courts
The future arrived early in Ohio courts. For the past seven years, grants from the Ohio Supreme Court have funded technology projects across the state judicial branch. This year, in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions, 143 courts received requested funds. Here’s how they are taking steps to advance operations and make it easier for the public to interact with the justice system, during the recent burst of technology.

How Clean Are ‘Clean Slates’?
Eligible people have the opportunity under state law to have certain case records sealed or expunged. But challenges arise – sometimes repeatedly – when commercial companies release sealed or expunged criminal histories in background checks, often to potential employers and landlords.

Opening Opportunities
Expanding diversity is an ongoing aspiration of the legal profession. In Cleveland, the Stokes Scholars Program is part of a pipeline of programs to identify and encourage youth who are interested in careers in law.

Righting Wrongful Convictions
The integrity of criminal convictions and postconviction procedures is a subject under increased scrutiny as criminal justice reform efforts blossom nationwide. In Ohio, a task force has been charged with seeking strategies to combat wrongful convictions and recommending reforms.

Background Checks
The accurate reporting of arrests and court decisions into a statewide database encompasses a maze of mandates across state law. Hundreds of local courts and law enforcement agencies are navigating the maze and refining their reporting efforts while submitting tens of thousands of reports every month for background checks to protect Ohioans.

A Roaring 2020
Early on in this remarkable year, a deadly new virus jumped across oceans and changed the landscape of our lives. Donning masks, distancing physically, and washing hands more than ever became commonplace. And trial courts, appellate courts, and the Ohio Supreme Court had to rethink and reorganize to keep the wheels of justice moving – in a year truly like no other.

Circles of Change
“Restorative justice” views crime more as an act against another person and the community than a violation of the law. And it maintains that punishment alone doesn’t change behavior. Courts nationwide are trying community-centered discussions based on these principles as alternatives to incarceration.

Court Education for Kids
For teachers and parents wanting to add to a student curriculum or to fill student gaps in understanding state government, the Ohio Supreme Court continues to broaden its collection of educational tools – which are tailored for both in-person and remote learning. A new addition guides youth in re-enacting a trial about a human cannonball performance. Whatever the age, the Supreme Court’s rich civic education resources bring Ohio government, courts, and history to life.

Striving toward Justice with Data
Many in Ohio’s legal community have advocated for the gathering of statewide statistical data about criminal sentencing. In 2020, the public joined the chorus, pushing for an objective examination of practices in the criminal justice system, from arrests and prosecution to court proceedings and community control. In light of current events, this may be the moment to answer the decades of calls for action.

Words of Wisdom
Interpreters of foreign and sign languages offer indispensable skills to individuals who must appear in court or depend on judicial branch services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, interpreters have figured out how to adapt so they can keep dispensing their hard-to-find expertise.

Sound Foundations
The routes that lead to the legal profession aren’t always predictable. These attorneys, judges, and justices discovered that the arts – especially music – offer scores of skills that resonate with the practice of law.

2020 Vision
As Ohio judges look ahead in the new year, and toward a new decade, they report ambitious plans – build or renovate run-down courthouses, offer tech-driven solutions to the public, support mediation in a greater number of civil and eldercare disputes, and more.

A Look Back at 2019
It’s been a busy 12 months at the Ohio Supreme Court. New justices stepped onto the bench, and former justices reminisced. More legal help became available to those in need. And public education about the courts was at the heart of numerous activities.

A More Perfect Union
The U.S. Constitution begins with the words, “We the people.” Yet women fought for decade after decade for the right to participate in electing their leaders. The 19th Amendment finally began making its rounds in 1919, through the states toward ultimate ratification. One hundred years later, Ohio judges and justices share what it has meant to them to participate in democracy’s most basic responsibility – voting.

Giving Back
After the May tornadoes in Dayton, the legal profession volunteered to help residents deal with housing issues and lost paperwork. Every day, Ohio lawyers answer the call for basic legal needs from individuals who can’t afford to pay. In recognition of a national celebration of pro bono, attorneys share the value of assisting others with pressing legal problems.

Out of the Courtroom, Into the Classroom
From trial court to the Ohio Supreme Court, a new curriculum explains the state’s justice system to high school students.

Youth Diversions
For young people in trouble, Ohio courts offer constructive alternatives to the juvenile and criminal justice systems with a blend of education, accountability, support, and problem-solving.

Storied Structure
The planners who designed the building that’s now home to the Ohio Supreme Court devoted considerable time to deciding the purpose, materials, and art for each room, especially in the public areas. The lobby on the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center’s west side epitomizes the uniqueness of the building’s spaces. It’s filled with intricate elements designed to convey an appreciation of the state’s original occupants – several Native American cultures.

Closing Civil Justice Gaps
Courts throughout Ohio have opened help centers to assist the public with questions about non-criminal cases. The need for guidance is substantial, and centers at two municipal courts – which have assisted thousands in just a few years – serve as models for tackling this growing challenge.

Sealed Records Expand Hope
For someone who has been arrested but never convicted of a crime or has had their case dismissed, removing a case record from the public offers fairness. For those with convictions who finish their court-ordered sentences, removing public access to case documents gives them a chance to move forward.

Justice Stewart's Oath Serves as a Monumental Milestone
Justice Melody Stewart’s investiture ceremony was more than simply a celebration as she became the Ohio Supreme Court’s 161st justice. It was an emotional breakthrough for her as the first African-American woman elected to the state’s court of last resort.

Spotlight on 2018
The past year at the Ohio Supreme Court held a few firsts and a 75th anniversary, a hot topic on the ballot, plus inspiring words from a special speaker.

Justice Terrence O’Donnell says goodbye to the Ohio Supreme Court
One of Ohio’s longest-serving justices will say goodbye to the Ohio Supreme Court this month.

Fallout
The repeated return of individuals into the criminal justice system has pressed Ohio courts to learn about trauma and its role in some actions that lead to legal trouble. By grasping how trauma disrupts lives, courts diminish conflicts during proceedings, curtail recidivism, and improve outcomes for the individuals and for the judicial system.

Partners in Justice
Magistrates accept pleas, handle hearings, conduct jury trials, and author decisions in courts throughout the state. Working with the judges who assign them to perform these duties, Ohio’s magistrates have become integral to the operation of the state’s justice system.

Justice Files
The Ohio Supreme Court has resided in several homes since it first met in 1803, including the Ohio Statehouse and its Judiciary Annex, pictured below and completed in 1901. The justices who’ve walked the Court’s halls each helped to mold the institution’s legal legacy.

Courts Tech-ing It to Next Level
As people embrace technology to expand their access to information and streamline many activities, Ohio courts experiment with ways to apply these tools to benefit the public and the justice system.

Common Good: Ohio Courts Address Defendants’ Mental Illness
Dozens of Ohio courts have set up special sessions to assist people suffering from mental illness who end up in the criminal justice system. It’s a collaborative effort in which courts join forces with treatment providers, law enforcement, and others to connect people with much-needed services such as medication, counseling, housing, and transportation.

Making Peace Outside the Courtroom
The roots of dispute resolution within the Ohio court system run deep. Its creation has allowed big and small cases to be settled peacefully without stepping foot inside a courtroom.

In-Depth: Tucked-Away Treasures
Three Supreme Court books, each more than a century old, were discovered recently at the Ohio Statehouse. Take a look inside these priceless volumes for a glimpse into a bit of Court history.