Supreme Court of Ohio visits Carrollton schools for off-site session

The Supreme Court of Ohio brought its courtroom to Carroll County April 15, giving local students a firsthand look at how the state’s highest court hears and decides cases.

The court held an off-site session at Carrollton Exempted Village School District, where justices heard oral arguments in three cases while students from several area schools observed.

The visiting justices included Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy, Justice Patrick Fischer, Justice R. Patrick DeWine, Justice Jennifer Brunner, Justice Joseph T. Deters, Justice Daniel R. Hawkins and Justice Megan E. Shanahan.

Chief Justice Kennedy and Supreme Court Administrative Director Bob Horner also presented special emerald green Supreme Court of Ohio Challenge Coins to local hosts, including Carroll County Common Pleas Judge Michael V. Repella II, Probate and Juvenile Court Judge Sean Smith, Carrollton Schools Superintendent Dave Davis and Carrollton High School Principal Jason Eddy.

Sophomore, junior and senior students from Carrollton High School attended, along with junior and senior students from Minerva Local Schools, Malvern’s Brown Local School District and Conotton Valley Union Local School District.

The visit was part of the Supreme Court’s Off-Site Court Program, which allows communities across Ohio to host live court proceedings outside of Columbus.

Carroll County marked the 77th of Ohio’s 88 counties to host the program. Carroll County Common Pleas Court Judges Michael V. Repella and Sean R. H. Smith served as co-hosts for the event.

“This is a uniquely important opportunity from a civic education standpoint,” said Bob Horner, administrative director of the Supreme Court of Ohio. “Students who have seen and heard things in a theoretical sense in their classes get to actually see it in action.”

Carrollton High School student ambassador Troy Rutledge said the experience helped bring classroom lessons to life.

“I think it’s a good opportunity to see how the system works and the process they take in court and how they decide the factors,” Rutledge said.

Fellow student ambassador Berlyn Zimmerman said having the court visit Carroll County made the experience even more meaningful.

“It’s a really cool opportunity because it comes so close to our community and everybody gets to witness it all together,” Zimmerman said. “We learn about it at school, but we might not completely understand it.”

Horner said the program not only helps students understand how the judicial system works, but also introduces them to potential careers in the legal field.

“That foundational piece of opening up the world of career opportunities for the students is becoming an ever increasingly important part of this function,” he said.

The Off-Site Court Program began in 1987 as part of an effort to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. The Carroll County visit also coincides with another milestone, the 250th anniversary of the nation’s independence.

Horner said the court continues to expand the program, with only a handful of counties remaining to be visited.

“This is our 77th county,” he said. “The intention is to cover the entire state.”

During the session, justices heard arguments in three cases covering a range of legal issues.

In State v. McClain, the court is reviewing whether prosecutors proved a defendant knew a victim was substantially impaired in a rape case stemming from a 2010 incident.

In State v. Lebron-Novas, the court is considering whether a traffic stop on the Ohio Turnpike for tailgating was lawful after drugs were discovered during a search of the vehicle. The case centers on whether inconsistencies between a trooper’s testimony and dash camera video affect the legality of the stop.

The third case, State v. Barton, involves a 2023 traffic stop in which a drug-sniffing dog jumped up and sniffed inside a vehicle. The court will determine whether the search was unconstitutional because the dog may have trespassed into the vehicle.

Horner said bringing these types of real-world cases into local schools helps students better understand how legal decisions are made.

“It’s absolutely wonderful to get around the state,” he said. “You lose sight of that when you’re in Columbus, all the wonderful counties and people who help host us. They couldn’t be more kind and generous.”

Planning for each off-site session begins well in advance, with coordination between the court and local officials.

“We probably really get into the heavy lifting of the planning about four months out,” Horner said.

Carrollton High School student ambassadors who met with the court and were seated in the front row for all three cases included Kaitlyn Adey, Ryan Barnett, Cooper Becknell, Joshua Hossler, Gracen Modranski, Emma Nicholas, Eva Nicholas, Ani Ruggieri, Troy Rutledge and Berlyn Zimmerman.

For many students in attendance, the event provided a rare opportunity to see the judicial process up close, something Horner said is central to the program’s mission.