Ohio Supreme Court

2020 Election: Ongoing live coverage in Ohio

BY: - November 3, 2020

Follow along here as we update you throughout Election Day on what’s going on in Ohio. Polls are open today from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Unofficial results will start coming in after the polls close, though full results may not be known election night due to outstanding absentee and provisional ballots that will need […]

Ohio Supreme Court candidates talk impartiality, inequity

BY: - October 15, 2020

The roles Ohio Supreme Court justices should avoid are just as important as the roles they do play, according to justices and the judges vying for two spots on the state’s highest court. In a recent forum hosted by the Ohio Debate Commission, Justice Sharon Kennedy, Justice Judith French, and their challengers, Cuyahoga Court of […]

Profiles: Ohio Supreme Court seats up in contested races

BY: - October 12, 2020

Two seats on the Ohio Supreme Court are up in November’s election. The six-year terms on the state’s highest court are held by two longtime incumbents, and contested by two judicial veterans with experience vying for seats on the court or governmental positions. French v. Brunner Judith French French has been a justice with the […]

Fraternal Order of Police, teachers, former law enforcement against armed teacher policy

BY: - October 8, 2020

An organization representing more than 23,000 police officers, including school resource officers, says allowing teachers to bring guns to school under only a concealed carry permit could do more harm than good. The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio said this in a brief to the Ohio Supreme Court, which is considering a case that […]

Ohio Supreme Court: Evidence of previous crimes not always allowed in new trials

BY: - September 24, 2020

Using two different sex crime cases, the Ohio Supreme Court specified the ways in which past crimes and accusations can be used in judging the likelihood of committing current crimes. The state’s highest court affirmed the conviction in a Hamilton County in which Michael Smith was charged with the molestation of his granddaughter in 2016. […]

Chief Justice: Virtual courtrooms, broken barriers the future of justice

BY: - September 14, 2020

The true nature of justice lies in its ability to change when society calls for it, according to the head of Ohio’s highest court. Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said that change is coming in the form of safety measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic and rethinking the justice system in light of […]

New tort law first step in getting justice for sexual assault survivors, victim says

BY: - September 9, 2020

There is no amount of money that can keep Jessica Simpkins from replaying the images of her rape at the hands of a church pastor. But having a law in place that protects her and other survivors of sexual violence would help, she said on Tuesday.  “They need to look at the victim, look at […]

House arrest, monitoring not counted for time-served, Ohio Supreme Court rules

BY: - September 8, 2020

House arrest and electronic monitoring don’t count as part of jail-time credit, the Ohio Supreme Court said in a recent ruling. The decision reverses a lower court’s decision that said an Erie County man was entitled to credit for time served in a 2015 case for which he was placed on house arrest after violating […]

Ohio Secretary of State sued by Kanye West campaign demanding Ohio candidacy

BY: - August 28, 2020

Ohio’s Secretary of State is being sued by Kanye West, who is attempting to compel the state’s elections chief to put his name on the November ballot. West and his running mate, Michelle Tidball, are listed as parties in court documents filed Wednesday with the Ohio Supreme Court, against Frank LaRose. West and Tidball are […]

Ohio Supreme Court: School district firearms policy can go on, pending appeal

BY: - August 27, 2020

The Ohio Supreme Court has said a school district can go ahead with a firearm policy for personnel while the state’s highest court decides on their case. The Ohio Supreme Court granted Madison Local School District’s request to allow the implementation of a policy allowing trained personnel including teachers to be armed on the Butler […]

Legal assistance foundation: Pro bono work sees increase

BY: - August 24, 2020

A nonprofit legal assistance group said Ohio’s attorneys have contributed to a significant increase in free legal services in the last year. The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation reported a 70% increase in pro bono donations since 2018, and more than $26 million worth of pro bono work done since last year. The pro bono […]

Ohio school asks state supreme court to speed up decision on armed teachers policy

BY: - August 11, 2020

An Ohio school district hoping to enact a policy to arm teachers is asking the Ohio Supreme Court to speed up their decision in light of an approaching school year.  Last week, the state’s highest court agreed to hear the appeal of the Madison Local School District, after an appeals court ruled they did not […]