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00:00:00WELCOME TO THE SUPREME COURT OF
OHIO.
00:00:03HERE AT THE THOMAS J MOYER
OHIO JUDICIAL CENTER IN
00:00:06THE HEART OF COLUMBUS.
ANY AND EVERY OHIOAN HAS THE
00:00:09RIGHT TO BE HEARD AND TO ARGUE
FOR THEIR SIDE OF ANY LEGAL
00:00:12QUESTION.
IN OUR LEGAL SYSTEM ANY OHIOAN
00:00:15CAN WALK STRAIGHT INTO THIS
COURTROOM AND
00:00:20WHO ARE YOU.
I'M YVETTE MCGEE BROWN.
00:00:23I'M A PARTNER AT THE LAW FIRM
OF JONES DAY AND I'M
00:00:26A FORMER OHIO SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE.
00:00:28OH SO YOU WOULD KNOW.
WHERE DOES OUR LEGAL SYSTEM
00:00:31BEGIN.
SO EVERY COUNTY HAS A
00:00:33COMMON PLEAS COURT.
ALL 88 COUNTIES IN THE STATE
00:00:40HAVE TRIAL COURTS.
THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT
00:00:42KINDS OF TRIAL COURTS.
YOU'VE GOT THE JUVENILE COURT
00:00:45WHICH DEALS WITH ANY OFFENSES
INVOLVING MINORS OR PARENTAL
00:00:47ISSUES.
OVER HERE YOU'VE GOT THE
00:00:49PROBATE COURT.
THEY WORK WITH THE ESTATES OF
00:00:51PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED MARRIAGE
LICENSES ADOPTIONS AND
00:00:54PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE MENTAL
ILLNESSES.
00:00:56THERE'S ALSO THE DOMESTIC
RELATIONS COURT WHERE PEOPLE
00:00:59CAN GO FOR DIVORCES AND CHILD
CUSTODY QUESTIONS.
00:01:02THERE ARE ALSO MUNICIPAL AND
COUNTY COURTS WHICH HANDLE LESS
00:01:04SERIOUS CRIMES LIKE MINOR
TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS AND OTHER
00:01:07THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT IF YOU'VE WATCHED ENOUGH TV
00:01:10YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH
THE BASICS OF A TRIAL COURT
00:01:13IN A TYPICAL TRIAL COURT.
THERE IS ONE JUDGE PRESIDING
00:01:16OVER THE CASE EVIDENCE AND
WITNESS TESTIMONY IS PRESENTED
00:01:20BY BOTH SIDES AND A JURY
ULTIMATELY DECIDES THE OUTCOME
00:01:24A TRIAL COURT MAY HEAR A CIVIL
CASE WHERE ONE PARTY IS
00:01:27FILING A LAWSUIT AGAINST
ANOTHER BUT A CRIME HAS NOT
00:01:30NECESSARILY BEEN COMMITTED
BUT A TRIAL COURT MAY ALSO HEAR
00:01:33A CRIMINAL CASE WHERE SOMEONE
HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF A CRIME.
00:01:37IF YOU'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF A
CRIME YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO
00:01:39HAVE A LAWYER WITH YOU.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE A
00:01:42LAWYER WITH YOU EVEN WHEN
YOU'RE QUESTIONED BY THE
00:01:44POLICE. IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD
A LAWYER THE STATE WILL
00:01:47APPOINT A LAWYER FOR YOU
SO THAT WHEN YOU GO INTO COURT
00:01:51YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WITH LEGAL
KNOWLEDGE WHO CAN PRESENT YOUR
00:01:54SIDE OF THE CASE.
AND THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF
00:01:56YOUR RIGHTS.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF
00:01:58RIGHTS IN OUR LEGAL SYSTEM.
ARE OUTLINED IN THE
00:02:01CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES.
00:02:05AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
STATE OF OHIO.
00:02:09NOW IF A TRIAL COURT DECIDES
A CASE AGAINST YOU AND YOU
00:02:12THINK THAT YOUR RIGHTS WERE
VIOLATED OR NEGLECTED DURING
00:02:15YOUR TRIAL YOU CAN APPEAL THAT
DECISION.
00:02:17THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU'RE NOT
HAPPY WITH WHAT HAPPENED IN THE
00:02:20TRIAL COURT YOU CAN GO STRAIGHT
TO THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO
00:02:23YOU CAN NOT GO STRAIGHT TO THE
SUPREME COURT IF YOU'RE NOT
00:02:26HAPPY WITH WHAT HAPPENS IN THE
TRIAL COURT.
00:02:27WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL AN
INTERMEDIATE COURT THE
00:02:30INTERMEDIATE COURTS IN OHIO
OR CALLED THE COURTS OF
00:02:33APPEALS.
WE HAVE TWELVE DISTRICT COURTS
00:02:38OF APPEALS.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT WHAT
00:02:40HAPPENED IN THE TRIAL COURT
AND THEY'RE SAYING EITHER YES
00:02:44OR NO WHAT THE TRIAL COURT DID
WAS CORRECT.
00:02:47THE APPEALS COURT DOES NOT HAVE
A JURY.
00:02:50AND THE JUDGES WILL NOT LOOK AT
NEW EVIDENCE IN YOUR CASE.
00:02:53IT'S THREE JUDGES
WHO ARE READING YOUR RECORD
00:02:57AND ALL YOU NEED IS A MAJORITY.
YOU NEED TWO OF THOSE THREE
00:02:59JUDGES TO GO YOUR WAY.
SO IF THE APPEALS COURT DOESN'T
00:03:03RULE THE WAY THAT YOU WANT NOW
DO YOU GET TO GO TO THE SUPREME
00:03:06COURT. WELL IF THE APPEALS
COURT DOESN'T RULE THE WAY YOU
00:03:08WANT YOU GET TO ASK THE SUPREME
COURT.
00:03:12HEARING HEAR YE HEAR YE.
THE HONORABLE SUPREME COURT OF
00:03:15OHIO IS NOW IN OPEN SESSION.
PURSUANT TO ADJOURNMENT.
00:03:17GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING LADIES AND
00:03:19GENTLEMEN OUR FIRST
APPROXIMATELY 2000 CASES
00:03:21ARE FILED EACH YEAR AT THE
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO.
00:03:24ONLY ABOUT 150 ARE
ACCEPTED FOR ORAL ARGUMENT.
00:03:28THAT'S LESS THAN EIGHT PERCENT.
I ALWAYS ENJOYED ORAL ARGUMENT
00:03:31BECAUSE YOU WALK INTO THE
COURTROOM AND YOU THINK
00:03:34YOU KNOW THIS IS WHAT THIS CASE
IS ABOUT.
00:03:36AND SOMETIMES THE PERSON
ARGUING THE CASE WILL GO A
00:03:39COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY
DURING ORAL ARGUMENT YOU
00:03:42OR YOUR LAWYER CAN ARGUE YOUR
SIDE OF THE CASE IN FRONT OF
00:03:45SEVEN JUSTICES.
BOTH SIDES HAVE 15 MINUTES
00:03:48TO MAKE THEIR BEST ARGUMENTS
AND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM
00:03:51THE JUSTICES LIKE THE COURTS
OF APPEALS THE SUPREME COURT
00:03:55DOES NOT HEAR WITNESSES DOES
NOT TAKE IN NEW EVIDENCE AND
00:03:58DOES NOT HAVE A JURY.
THE SUPREME COURT WILL ONLY
00:04:00TAKE CASES THAT INVOLVE SERIOUS
QUESTIONS OF PUBLIC OR GREAT
00:04:04GENERAL INTEREST.
EVERY CASE THAT WE TAKE
00:04:07IT HAS TO BE AN ISSUE OF PUBLIC
IMPORTANT SURE CONSTITUTIONAL
00:04:10ISSUE THAT THE SUPREME COURT
ALSO REVIEWS ANY CONFLICTING
00:04:13DECISIONS BETWEEN APPEALS
COURTS AND THEY REVIEW EVERY
00:04:16CASE IN WHICH SOMEONE HAS BEEN
SENTENCED TO DEATH.
00:04:19AND AFTER HEARING ORAL
ARGUMENTS HOW DID THE JUSTICES
00:04:22DECIDE A CASE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WE GO BACK
00:04:24INTO CONFERENCE IMMEDIATELY
AFTER ORAL ARGUMENTS
00:04:27AND EVERYBODY SPEAKS
EVERYBODY STARTING WITH THE
00:04:30CHIEF JUSTICE SAYS WHAT THEY
THINK THE OUTCOME OF THE CASE
00:04:33SHOULD BE. THERE'S NO ARGUMENT
YOU JUST GIVE YOUR OPINION AND
00:04:36THEN ONCE ALL SEVEN PEOPLE
HAVE GIVEN THEIR OPINION THEN
00:04:39IT'S OPENED FOR ARGUMENT.
AND THE CHIEF JUSTICE THEN CAN
00:04:42CALL THE CASE SO SHE STOPS
ARGUMENT.
00:04:45SHE CALLS THE CASE AND
YOU'VE GOT THE FOUR VOTES
00:04:48THEN THOSE FOUR PEOPLE ARE
IF IT'S UNANIMOUS ALL SEVEN
00:04:51PEOPLE YOU'RE EACH ASSIGNED
A NUMBER.
00:04:54YOUR NUMBER GOES INTO THE
BOTTLE.
00:04:56IT'S LIKE PLAYING DICE.
YOU SHAKE THE BOTTLE AND
00:05:01YOU PULL OUT A MARBLE AND
WHOEVER IS NUMBER IS ON THAT
00:05:04MARBLE FOR THE MAJORITY
WRITES THE DECISION.
00:05:07SO THE MAJORITY OPINION OF THE
SUPREME COURT BECOMES THE LAW
00:05:10IN OHIO.
AND WHEN THE SUPREME COURT
00:05:12ISSUES A DECISION THAT'S FINAL
RIGHT IN MOST CASES YES
00:05:16IT IS FINE.
BUT IF THERE IS AN ISSUE
00:05:18DECIDED BY THE OHIO SUPREME
COURT THAT HAS FEDERAL
00:05:21IMPLICATIONS OR
WHERE OTHER STATES HAVE DECIDED
00:05:24THE ISSUE DIFFERENTLY THERE IS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE
00:05:27UNITED STATES SUPREME
COURT.
00:05:30BUT THAT IS RIGHT.
THE TAKEAWAY IS THIS OHIO'S
00:05:34LEGAL PROCESS STARTS AT THE
COUNTY LEVEL WITH MUNICIPAL
00:05:37AND COUNTY COURTS HANDLING
MINOR VIOLATIONS AND COMMON
00:05:40PLEAS COURTS HANDLING MORE
SERIOUS AND COMPLICATED CASES.
00:05:44EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO
APPEAL A LOWER COURT'S DECISION
00:05:47TO THE COURTS OF APPEALS WHERE
A PANEL OF THREE JUDGES WILL
00:05:50DECIDE WHETHER THE LOWER COURT
WAS CORRECT.
00:05:52EVERYONE ALSO HAS THE RIGHT TO
APPEAL THAT DECISION TO THE
00:05:55SUPREME COURT OF OHIO
WHATEVER A MAJORITY OF THE
00:05:58SEVEN SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
DECIDE BECOMES THE LAW
00:06:01IN THE STATE OF OHIO.
NOW IT MAY SEEM LIKE THE COURTS
00:06:05HAVE A LOT OF POWER AND THEY DO
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER
00:06:08THAT JUDGES AT EVERY SINGLE
LEVEL OF OHIO'S COURT SYSTEM
00:06:12ARE ELECTED BY THE VOTERS IN
THEIR COMMUNITIES OR ACROSS THE
00:06:15STATE.
SO WHEN YOU TURN 18 YOUR
00:06:17VOTE COULD HELP DECIDE WHO SITS
HERE OR HERE.
00:06:21OR HERE.
Note : Transcripts are compiled from uncorrected captions