Justice comes to town: Supreme Court to visit Carroll County

The Supreme Court of Ohio will travel to Carroll County April 15 to hold oral arguments in three cases.

The visit from the seven justices is part of the court’s traveling civic education program for high school students.

The special session will be held at Carrollton High School before students from four high schools, including Carrollton, Minerva, Brown Local and Conotton Valley. More than 900 students are expected to attend. Interested individuals also are invited to attend, according to CHS Principal Jason Eddy.

Carrollton Schools Superintendent David Davis said the entourage is scheduled to arrive at 6 a.m., followed by a meet-and-greet with CHS students at 8:30 a.m. The first case is scheduled for 9 a.m., followed by the second at 9:30 a.m. and the third at 10 a.m.

Arguments will be heard in the following cases:

— State v. McClain: A man was convicted of rape after a DNA match was made a decade after the assault was reported. His conviction was based on the victim’s substantial impairment. The court will review whether the prosecutor proved the man knew the victim was substantially impaired.

— State v. Lebron-Novas: State troopers pulled over a car for following too closely behind a commercial truck and, during a subsequent search, found illegal drugs. The driver challenges the legality of the search, pointing to inconsistencies between a trooper’s testimony and dash camera video.

— State v. Barton: During a traffic stop, a driver declined to allow police to search her vehicle. While police used a dog to sniff the exterior of the car, the dog jumped up and sniffed inside the driver’s side window. The dog alerted to the presence of contraband. The driver argues the search was illegal because the dog trespassed into her vehicle.

The off-site court experience for students is the culmination of several weeks of preparation and collaboration with teachers and local attorneys. Before oral arguments, students and teachers receive a detailed summary of each case from the Supreme Court. Local attorneys visit classrooms to explain the legal issues and how Ohio’s court system works. After observing the cases, students meet with the attorneys who argued before the justices to discuss the cases and the legal profession.

For the Carroll County event, a representative from the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation will discuss careers in law with students.

What is Off-Site Court?

Carroll County will be the 77th of Ohio’s 88 counties to host Off-Site Court. Judges Michael V. Repella and Sean R. H. Smith of the Carroll County Common Pleas Court are serving as co-hosts.

The Off-Site Court program began in 1987 when Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer sought to honor the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. This year’s visit to Carroll County coincides with another milestone — the 250th anniversary of the nation’s independence.

As the nation prepares for its 250th birthday July 4, the Supreme Court is marking the semiquincentennial with a yearlong celebration called “The Story of America,” highlighting significant historical events.

Beyond digital content, the celebration includes events and displays at the court. The initiative aims to spark curiosity, enhance civic literacy and honor key moments in American and Ohio history.