In 1987, the now late Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer, launched a remarkable education initiative known as the Off-Site Court Program. Twice a year the Ohio Supreme Court hears cases on location at Ohio public high schools in order to provide students with the educational opportunity of viewing live court proceedings firsthand.
Each Off-Site program is hosted in a different county, Crawford is the 51st county to host the program since it’s inception. The visit held extra meaning for both the students and the justices since Justice Paul Pfeifer grew up in Crawford County and to this day maintains a farm there.
Seniors from seven Crawford County high schools heard one of three cases on Wednesday. Bucyrus, Buckeye Central, Colonel Crawford, Crestline, Galion, Wynford, and Wayside Christian were in attendance.
The program began with an informal question and answer period with the justices, facilitated by Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. Students asked a variety of thoughtful questions about the workload of a justice, the challenges of the job, and even wondering about personal conflicts.
Justice Pfeifer entered the national spotlight in 2011 when he publicly changed his position on Ohio’s death penalty law, a piece of legislation he helped craft when he was a member of the legislature. He was candid with the students about the complexity of the legal process and his conviction about his belief that the death penalty should be repealed in Ohio, all the while stressing that he is ethically bound to uphold the law as long as it stands.
One of the students asked how hard it was for a farmer from little Bucyrus to become a supreme court justice. “Actually it wasn’t that hard,” said Pfeifer.
A running theme in the comments of the justices was the value of education and personal responsibility. “None of the justices you see before you here today were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. Our silver spoon was our education,” said O’Connor.
Justice Judith Lanzinger explained that the legal profession requires strength in five areas: listening, reading, thinking, writing, and speaking. She explained that anyone who develops these skills can be successful in law.
O’Connor, who happens to be Ohio’s first female Chief Justice, also pointed out another anomaly, “One of the nice things is that we have a female majority.” Four of Ohio’s seven Supreme Court Justices are female.
Following the informal forum the justices retreated backstage in the school auditorium to dress in their robes and return for formal court proceedings. The case presented to the students was State of Ohio v. Jeffrey McGlothan, a case that hinged on evidence defining the nature of a relationship for an unmarried couple. This interpretation of the evidence would determine whether or not the crime could be considered domestic violence within the context of the law.
After hearing the arguments the students were relocated to the cafeteria where they were able to debrief with the attorneys. The students were able to ask questions about the case or the profession.
The lawyers, justices and court staff were impressed by the students in Crawford County. “I’ve been a part of over 20 of these Off-Site programs. This is one of the best sessions we’ve ever had,” said Chris Davey from the Ohio Supreme Court Office of Public Information.
Students Noah Graves and Kennedy Crawford were already interested in pursuing careers in law prior to the Supreme Court visit, but the experience amplified their ambitions.
After the verdict in the George Zimmerman case was handed down, Kennedy Crawford was incensed. At that point she knew she wanted to become a prosecutor. “If I can help put people away, I’m going to,” she said.
Graves makes no bones about being a competitive person and that fuels his interest in being a defense attorney. “I’m really into trying to discover the truth. In class we watched Twelve Angry Men–wow, that was amazing. I guess I just love the underdog,” said Graves.
When asked if this program changed their perception of the legal process Crawford said, “It makes me want to be a prosecutor even more. Because one of the justices is from Crawford County. It proves I can do this; it’s not just a dream.”
When asked if this program changed their perception of the legal process Crawford said, “It makes me want to be a prosecutor even more. Because one of the justices is from Crawford County. It proves I can do this; it’s not just a dream.”
