2013 Winter Reporter OCLRE

7/29/2019 2013 Winter Reporter OCLRE

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IN THIS ISSUE

ReporterSUPREME COURT OF OHIO | THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF OHIO

OHIO STATE BAR ASSOCIATION | ACLU OF OHIO FOUNDATIONSPONSORS

OCLREs 30th Anniversary ..........3

Mock Trial News ........................5

Students Roles onElection Day................................6

John Carroll University

Students Make a Difference .......8

By Chief Jus-

tice Maureen

OConnor,

Supreme Court

of Ohio

When the U.S.

Supreme Court heardarguments on thehealth care reorm

law this year, the onlypeople who could watch it live were the 330

people who were lucky enough to get seats inthe courtroom.

It is surprising that an institution that decidescases so vital and ar-reaching to every U.S.

citizen does not open its courtroom to cam-eras. I people could see the justices at work,

it would enhance their understanding o thecourt. And the more people understand thecourt, the more they will respect it, which only

strengthens our democracy.

This is as important today as it has ever been.A recent CBS News/New York Times poll ound

the Courts popularity at a nearly all-time lowo 44 percent.

Without a live broadcast o the three days oarguments on the Aordable Health Care Act

in March, the U.S. Supreme Court missed outon a huge educational opportunity.

We will never know what body language thejustices used while listening to oral arguments

or how pointed they were in asking questions,except through the audio recordings, whichonly tell part o the story.

More importantly, just allowing citizens to

witness this historic event sends a signalthat the proceedings are open, that there is

nothing to hide, and that what goes on inthat courtroom is something worthy o thecondence o every citizen.

The court also missed an opportunity tocombat a perception that politics is at playwhen judges decide a case instead o a strict

interpretation o the law.

A Washington Post-ABCNews poll takenbeore the decision was announced this sum-

mer ound that about hal o the populationthought the Supreme Court justices would actmainly on their partisan political views rather

than give a neutral reading o the constitu-tionality o the law.

The U.S. Supreme Court has nudged a littlecloser to the 21st Century in one respect.

The court decided to release the audio o

the oral arguments the same day instead owaiting to release it at the end o the week as

is usually the case. But this concession hardlymakes a dent in todays YouTube generation.

A handul o ederal trial courts are participat-ing in a three-year pilot program to experi-

ment with cameras in courtrooms, but elec-tronic media coverage o criminal proceedingsin ederal courts has been expressly prohibited

or more than 60 years.

Federal courtrooms wont even allow photog-raphers to take pictures during a trial. Thatswhy you see sketches on the news that depict

what happened in the courtroom, and you onlysee photos o the accused entering or leaving

the courtroom not inside the courtroom.

Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice DavidSouter once said that the day you see acamera come into our courtroom, its going to

roll over my dead body.

Justice Souter and others who ear that cam-eras would somehow harm the business othe ederal courts need look no urther than

Ohio and the other 49 states in the union, allo which allow some type o camera access in

their courtrooms.

Federal Courts Should Allow Cameras toSupport Greater Knowledge, Understanding

(Continued on page 7)

Issue 1

Winter 2013

The Ohio Supreme Court Offers

a complete program of services

for Ohioans to learn about the

judicial system:

WatchtheSupremeCourtliveatsc.ohio.gov.

Watcharchivedoralargumentsatohiochannel.org.

GetnewsupdatesonallOhiocourts at courtnewsohio.gov.

Followajusticewhoisaformerteacher. Her blog oers educa-

tional material on the courts atjusticejudy.blogspot.com.

PlanaclasstouroftheThomas

J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center atsc.ohio.gov/mjc.

Since the 1970s, Rule 12 o the Rules oSuperintendence or the Courts o Ohio haspermitted cameras in all Ohio courtrooms

rom the municipal court level to the SupremeCourt level subject to the discretion o the

presiding judge.


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by Jared Reitz,OCLRE director

of programs

Social studies educators

know well the histori-cal importance o theNorthwest Ordinanceand the undamental

principles it set orth: protected reedom oreligion and prohibited slavery in the North-

west territory, promoted education, establisheda three-step ramework or statehood, and

was the template or uture territorial expan-sion. But it is the back story which led to thepassage o the Northwest Ordinance that will

give students a better understanding o thecompeting sectional interests o the time.

Textbooks tend to present and teachers tend

to teach in a segmented ashion so studentsdont always ully understand the relationshipamong historical events. For example, stu-

dents should be aware that in the summer o1787, while the Conederation Congress was

meeting in New York City drating the North-west Ordinance, another group o delegates

waswritingaconstitutioninPhiladelphiaattheConstitutionalConvention,orGrandConvention as it was sometimes called. The

Convention and the Congress were meetingsimultaneously and each impacted the other.

It was the Land Ordinance o 1785 that laid theground work (pun intended) to authorize the

organized sale o the land in the northwest bydividing it into townships - the oldest political

units in states later created under the North-west Ordinance. Early on there was agreement

that the states carved out o the Northwest-Territory would not be part o a created empirebut there was disagreement as to whether they

should be equal to the existing states.

Using a copy o the original text oAn Ordi-nance or the government o the Territory o

the United States northwest o the Ohio River,have students read Section 2. From placementat the beginning o the document and the

amount o space give to the provision,students can see that protection o property

was very important to the people o that time.

At the end o the document have students nd

and read Article 6 which prohibits slavery in

TEACHABLE MOMENT

Historical Documents: Northwest Ordinancethe Northwest Territory.

How did this happen bya Congress that, at the

time, was controlled by

the south? What willstudent research reveal?First, heated discussionsinPhiladelphiacentered

on counting slaves orpurposes o representa-

tion. Second, there wasnothing that prohibited

slavery in areas south othe Ohio River, and third,a ugitive slave provision

provided or the return orunaway slaves to their

owners. That ugitive slave provision was therst legislation o its kind and something the

southerners wanted. It is interesting to notethat the three-ths compromise countingslaves or purposes o representation - was

accepted at the Constitutional Convention inPhiladelphiaonJuly17,1787justtwodays

ater enactment o the Northwest Ordinanceon July 15, 1787.

It is also interesting to note that some statescreated out o the Northwest Territory had a

dicult time keeping slavery out and Illinois

actually got away with it or a while under theterm indentures. Actually, those who livedin the Northwest Territory and had slaves prior

to enactment o the Northwest Ordinancecould keep them. Section 9 specically pro-vides, So soon as there are ve thousand reemale inhabitants The implication is that notall inhabitants would be ree.

Article 5 denes the number o states to becreated out o the Northwest Territory; no

less than three and no more than ve. Earlydiscussions suggested creation o ten to our-

teen states and that makes sense given thesize o states like New Jersey, Rhode Island,

Delaware, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Itwould seem logical too that southern stateswould oppose it. They didnt. Southeners

thought, at the time, that many o the newstates would be slave states. The reality was

that northern states eared too many westernstates would weaken the northern states

supremacy in the Senate.

Article 3 oers a great opportunity or

students to read and oer their reactions toseveral provisions including a strong endorse-

ment or education. Article 3 also addressesthe treatment o Indians in the NorthwestTerritory.

The Northwest Ordinance was the template

or territorial expansion, democratic processesor statehood, trial by jury, protection oproperty, and reedom o religion; in essence,

the document ensured that every state createdwould have a republican orm o government.

A more detailed account o the happeningsinPhiladelphiaandNewYorkcanbefound

in Decision In Philadelphia: The Constitutional

Convention o 1787by Christopher Collier and

James Lincoln Collier.

A very good supplement on the NorthwestOrdinance can be ound at the Michigan

Historical Society: The Mitten: The Northwest

Ordinance

Student Activities:

Have students prepare a detailed timeline

o important events between May 25 and

September 17, 1787. From the timeline,students will have a better understanding othe interaction between the delegates at the

Convention and the delegates in Congress.

Have students rank the provisions o the

Northwest Ordinance in the order o impor-tance as they see them. Have them explain

their reasoning in a class discussion.


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By Lisa Eschleman,

executive director

1983. For those oldenough to remember,

1983 launched manyrsts.

NASAlunchedthespaceshuttleChal-

lenger on its maiden fight.

MicrosoftlaunchedWord.

MotorolalaunchedDynaTAC-therstcellphone available to the public.

NBClaunchedTheA-TeamwithMr.T.

ColecolaunchedCabbagePatchKidsas

the must-have toy o the season.

And, a coalition o dedicated volunteers

launched the Ohio Center or Law-RelatedEducation.

OCLREs 30th anniversary provides a wonder-ul opportunity or refection and celebration.

It all began in 1983 with a shared belie thatstrong partnerships between educational

and legal communities could better inormstudents about their constitutional rights and

responsibilities, and the parties that plantedthe seeds envisioned a statewide organization

that would ll a void in law-related educationor all students in Ohio.

During the next 30 years, thousands o teach-ers and volunteers partnered with OCLRE to

nurture its programs and watch students blos-som through participation in high school mock

trial,WethePeople,YouthforJustice,andmiddle school mock trial. Teachers throughoutthe state have beneted rom OCLREs proes-

sional development programs including theannual Law and Citizenship Conerence and

OhioGovernmentinAction.

Today, OCLRE has grown and matured intothe nations premier law-related education

program. OCLRE programs now impact nearly45,000 students across Ohio annually.

As we kick o our anniversary year, we thankall who have worked tirelessly to plant seeds,

nurture programs, and help OCLRE prosper.Because o your unwavering support and

dedication, OCRLEs roots will remain rmlyplanted to bring democracy to lie or newgenerations o Ohios students. We can never

say thank you enough.

Are you an OCLRE program alum? Wed love

to hear rom you! Tell us how Mock Trial, Wethe People or other OCLRE program infuenced

you. Send your story to Kate Strickland: kstrick-

[email protected].

OCLRE HonorsAward Recipients

Top: Eiler Award recipient Paul Nick;

Secretary of State Jon Husted; Founders

Award recipient Ken Donchatz.

Bottom: Secretary of State Jon Husted

and OCLRE Board of Trustees President

Marion Smithberger present Deborah

DeHaan with the Founders Award.

Looking Back and Moving Forward:OCLRE Celebrates 30 Years of Excellence

On September 24th, recipients o the Centershighest honors the Founders Award and

the Lori U. Eiler Award or Mock Trial Coach-ing Excellence were recognized or their

contributions to law-related education andcommitment to helping students understand

and value the rule o law and the importanceo being engaged citizens.

Founders Award recipients:

KenDonchatz,Esq.,mocktriallegal

advisor at Westerville North High School DeborahDeHaan,formerexecutivedirec-

tor o OCLRE

Lori U. Eiler Award recipient: PaulNick,Esq.,mocktriallegaladvisor

or Thomas Worthington High School


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by Todd Burch, Esq.,

OCLRE mock trial

coordinator

Cross examination canbe especially chal-

lenging because it isthe only major trial

element that involves directly interacting with

a member o the opposing team. This char-acteristic can make cross dicult to practice

or script but also provides opportunities orstudents to showcase their ability to think on

their eet. This article will present strategies toprepare a cross examination and perorm it intrial. Methods or witnesses to maximize their

cross examination score are also provided.

Preparation and Structure of

Cross Examination

Identify the Main Points: Identiy themain points you want to elicit rom the wit-ness. Build up to each point with a series

o short leading questions. These questionsshould make statements to which the witness

has no choice but to respond yes or no.Never ask a question to which you do not

know the answer.

Start and Finish Strong: The most eec-

tive points should be used at the beginningand end o cross examination as that is what

the judges are most likely to remember. Lessimportant topics should be discussed in the

middle. I possible, end with the strongestpoint or question.

Think About What Is Not in the State-

ment: A cross isnt limited to armative

statements or actions. What a witness didntdo or say might be equally relevant. Forexample, i a police ocer collecting evidence

never mentions dusting or ngerprints, it may

be eective to point that out.

Dont Ask One Question Too Many: Its

oten very tempting to ask that one questionthat clearly wraps up the argument and makesyour point. However, this can easily backre.

Lets say the main point is that an eyewitnesscouldnt clearly see the crime in question. The

attorney has already asked questions pointingout it was dark, the witness didnt have his or

her glasses, the incident was ar away, etc. Itmight seem logical to nish that section o thecross examination by asking So you couldnt

clearly see what happened? Dont ask thatquestion unless it is clearly stated in the

witness statement. Well prepared witnesseswill take the opportunity to undo the cross bydiscussing all the reasons why he or she could

see what happened. Always be wary o askingone question too many and leave this ultimate

point to the closer.

Cross Examination Performance

Be the Star: The goal o an attorney oncross is to make himsel or hersel the center

o attention. I possible, take a position in themiddle o the courtroom or as close to the

witness box as possible. Use infection, handgestures or movement when appropriate.

Get Your Answers: Cross examination ismore than asking questions, its also getting

answers to those questions. Anyone cansimply read or memorize a list o questions. I

a witness doesnt clearly answer the ques-tion, dont just move on to the next one. Askanother question until you get a yes or no.

For example say can I take that as a no?or thank you or that answer but my original

question was The ability to react to thewitness testimony shows an ability to think

on your eet that will score points with judges.

Never End on an Objection: Its very im-

portant to leave a positive impression with thejudges and sitting down on a lost objection

makes that dicult. I the last question seemslikely to elicit an objection, change the order

o your questions or have a saer back-upquestion ready.

Portraying an Effective Witness

on Cross Examination

Maintain Character: I a witness is unny,emotional, or extremely proessional on direct,this demeanor should carry over to cross.

Many o the questions likely to be asked canbe anticipated in advance so a witness can

plan to make a joke or show emotion at a cer-tain time. Abandoning the character played on

direct is sure to result in a lower witness score

Avoid Yes or No Answers When Pos-

sible: The goal o an attorney on cross is tobe the center o attention and elicit yes or

no answers. As a witness, try to prevent this

MOCK TRIAL NEWS

Mock Trial: Cross Examination Strategies

(Continued on page 5)


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while still being respectul. A witness can

answer questions with Yes, but andthen qualiy the answer. A witness canalso answer with a sentence or two beore

concluding so thats a yes to your ques-tion. Above all, ollow the judges orders.

I the judge asks or a yes or no, respondaccordingly.

Dont Be a Lawyer on the Stand:

Remember that youre portraying a witness

that isnt amiliar with the legal system orperhaps even the rest o the case. Its not

a witness job to advance legal arguments.

Use language thats appropriate to thewitness character and avoid legalese.Dont try to tip the attorney o to potentialobjections. Witnesses should trust their

attorneys, its important to work as a teamto be successul in mock trial.

MOCK TRIAL NEWS

High School Mock Trial Reminders2013 Competition Dates: District Competi-tions will take place on February 1, RegionalCompetitions on February 22, and the State

Competition on March 7-9.

Errata Sheet: For updates on case andcompetition questions, view the errata sheetat www.oclre.org on the High School Mock

Trial page. The nal day to submit questionswas January 15.

Registration Deadlines: Team registrationsmust be received by December 7 to avoid a

late ee. Team registrations received ater De-cember 7 must include a $30 late ee or each

team registered. Registration ater January 7is available only on a space available basis.

Team Roster Required: A team roster mustbe submitted to complete the registration pro-

cess and may be completed online at www.

oclre.org. Teams will not be assigned to acompetition site until OCLRE receives a roster.

Withdraw Deadline: Teams that withdrawprior to January 7 will be assessed a $5

processing ee, the remaining balance will

be reunded. Ater January 7, no reunds orcredits will be available.

District Assignments: District Competitionsite assignments were released at

www.oclre.org on January 11.

(Mock Trial: Cross Examination

Strategies continued from page 4)

Middle school students love a good argu-

ment and teachers want them to read goodliterature. OCLREs Middle School Mock Trial

program will pique students interests in civics,government, and the law, while integrating thecommon core curriculum.

Middle School Mock Trial is an interdisciplinary

program that engages students in the socialstudies components o learning the judicial

and legal systems as well as the common corestandards o reading, writing, speaking, and

listening. Students participate in each step o a

trial: read and analyze witness statements, ormarguments to support each side o the case,prepare and ask witness questions, and deliver

opening statements and closing arguments.

The Center has developed cases based on

eleven pieces o literature commonly readat the middle school level. This years state

showcase is a trial based on the novel Roll

o Thunder, Hear My Cryby Mildred Taylor,

a novel specically listed in the English/Com-mon Core standards illustrating the complex-ity, quality, and range o student reading or

middle school students.

The programs culminating activity, a stateshowcase at the Ohio Judicial Center in Colum-

bus, gives students the opportunity to arguetheir case beore judges and attorneys. Its anauthentic, place-based, perormance-based

assessment thats just plain un!

[email protected] 614-485-3515 or more inormation.

Connecting English/Common Core with the

Social Studies Through Middle School Mock Tria

MOCK TRIAL NEWS: MIDDLE SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL


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By Tim Kalgreen,

program coordinator

For most Ohioans, theprocess o voting is not

long or complicated.However, or the poll

worker, its a 15 hour day and a wonder-ul learning experience. As a poll worker on

Election Day 2012, I learned some interestingand little-known acts.

Did You Know

Thereisatimelimitforvotersto

complete the ballot. Ohio law estab-lishes a ve-minute time limit when

all machines are in use and voters arewaiting to use them.

Evenifintoxicated,avotercannotbe denied the opportunity to vote.I necessary, precinct ocials are

instructed to call the sheri or police

or assistance, but to use commonsense, prudent judgment, and superior

customer service when dealing withdicult voters.

Noneofthefollowingarevalidformso identication or voting purposes:US passport, Social Security card, or

birth certicate. These orms o ID donot contain a voters address. How-

ever, a speeding ticket or school gradecard are valid orms o identication

because they are government-issueddocuments containing both a votersname and address.

OhiolawrequirestheVotingLocation

Manager,alsoknownasthePresidingJudge, to have the same political a-liation as the party whose candidate

or governor received the most votesin that precinct at the last regular state

gubernatorial election.

Did You Know?... A Poll Workers Perspective

turned eighteenso this was the rst election

in which I could vote. Being such a historic

election, I was extremely excited or the op-

portunity to not only vote, but work the [polls]

as well.

I had to complete a two hour training

course This course was vigorous, but neces-sary, in order to be successul.

Many people think that elections tear America

apart due to constant disagreements between

parties, but I think it brings us together. For

one day out o the year we are reminded o

how good America is. We orget too oten how

blessed we are with the right to vote.

~ Becca Snowden

The Youth at the Booth program, coordinated

exclusivelyinFranklinCountybyKidsVoting,allows high school seniors the opportunity

to serve as precinct ocials at the polls. The

experience oers students even those notyet o voting age a rst-hand look at thedemocratic process and the signicance o theright and privilege aorded to all U.S. citizens

over the age o 18: a say in who governs in ademocracy o the people, or the people and

by the people. Talk about bringing citizenshipto lie!

The ollowing are excerpts rom essays writtenbyGahannaLincolnHighSchoolstudentswho

served as Youth at the Booth poll workers onElection Day 2012. Thank you to the students,

their teacher, Mr. Jerry Englehart, and DeborahKoch,KidsVotingCentralOhio.

Youth at the Booth was a very positive expe-

rience or me [it] really opened up my eyes

to elections. Everyone puts so much emphasis

on the candidates and the issues although,

without workers like me and volunteers

counting everything and making basic things

happen, we would not have the luxury o being

able to vote and or our opinions to matter. I

am happy I participated in Youth at the Booth

because I now understand the whole election

process a lot better.~ Anna Tarbutton

Processing my rst voter, I elt a sense o

pride knowing that I was on the ront lines o

democracy. For [the] rst ew hours we were

swarmed by voters eager to [vote] beore they

would rush to work

At the end o the day we packed up the

machines and were eager to go home. But

there was a confict in the number o voters the

machines [counted] and the catalog o voters.

So in the right way, we recounted the votes

our times. In the end our location manager

saw the recounts as suitable and I printed out

the results. I was chosen to hang the results

at the ront o the precinct Being a machine

judge showed me the way democracy works in

our country, but also showed me the complica-

tions I [am] proud o my duty.

~ Andrew Burik

The Youth at the Booth program was a valu-

able experience and a good wake up call. The

Students Roles on Election Day Prove Meaningful, Rewardingdescription was right by saying the paper trail

is long, and deadlines must be met.

The day got overwhelming at points but you

could not just stop I noticed that a majorityo the people I was helping genuinely appreci-

ated that I was doing [this] job. It was nice to

eel appreciated or my service.

~ Colin Smallwood

I elt that even though I [am] too young to

vote on issues in my community and country, I

could still be part o the process

It elt great to help [voters] with the machines,

especially the people who had never used

the voting machines beore and relied on

us and help them have a say in our govern-ment. There were so many dierent types o

peoplerom the elderly who have voted

many times throughout their lives, to the kids

who just turned eighteen and had their rst

experience voting.

~ Aerial Duncan

Working Youth at the Booth was a very

eye-opening experience or me. I [had] just


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7

By Lee H.

Hamilton

Originally published

October 24, 2012;

reprinted withpermission

A ew weeks ago, I

had a conversationwith a group o

prominent business leaders that Im still mull-ing over. We were talking about the intersec-tion between business and government, and

they were pretty unhappy. The chie targeto their displeasure wasnt any o the usual

suspects, though.

Instead o lambasting taxes or regulations,they were most worried about uncertainty inWashington. Their business prospects, they

argued, are being hurt by the inability o thepolitical class and in particular Congress

and the White House to come to termson pretty much anything: rom the yearendpackage o tax hikes and spending cuts

known as the scal cli to xing the healthcare system to resolving our disagreements

over immigration.

Now, uncertainty is baked into our political

system. As soon as a law passes, hundreds olobbyists head or Capitol Hill to try to change

it, and scores more descend on executive-branch agencies to see i they can nudge

the rules implementing the law as theyrewritten. Legislation that seems buried or

good in Congress can abruptly rise rom thedead and pass both houses, while laws thatpassed easily a ew years ago suddenly nd

themselves imperiled.

Nothing ever gets settled in this town,GeorgeShultzoncetoldtheHousecommittee

on which I sat when he was secretary o state.Its a seething debating society in which thedebate never stops, in which people never

giveup.Giventhenatureofourrepresenta-tive democracy, certainty and nality are

simply not achievable.

Yet the businessmen I met with had an impor-

tant and valid point. The range o really crucialissues on which Congress has been unable to

nd common ground is immense. It has yet

to decide what to do about tax cuts that are

about to lapse. It has a budget in place onlyuntil March and has not come to terms with

the threat o deep cuts to spending that were

part o the debt ceiling deal o 2011. Its letissues like the uture o estate taxes, a new

agriculture bill, ensuring the security o ourinormation inrastructure, and a rickety postal

service on the table. And it hasnt given a clueas to how it might want to address issues that

are key to our economic competitiveness incoming decades: education, inrastructure,

taxes, immigration and the like.

As we near the end o the year, anyone trying

to plan ahead has to conront the act thatgovernment policy or both the near and long

terms is wildly unoreseeable. And no oneexpects the upcoming election to clariy mucho anything.

This interminable gridlock in Washington

produces a signal lack o leadership. Unableto ormulate policy, let alone think strategi-cally about the uture, Congress punts. Which

is terrible or the country. As The New YorkTimes noted a ew months ago, A rising

number o manuacturers are canceling newinvestments and putting o new hires be-

cause they ear paralysis in Washington will...

undermine economic growth in the comingmonths. Executives at companies making

everything rom electrical components andpower systems to automotive parts say the s-

cal stalemate is prompting them to pull backnow, rather than wait or a possible resolution

to the deadlock on Capitol Hill.

The problem is that politicians in Washington

get so wrapped up in their own world thatthey seem unable to recognize the conse-

quences o their inaction and lastminuteantics. The bad habits theyve developed

in recent years an inability to enact abudget or address taxes, the omnibus billsthat concentrate power in the hands o just

a ew people, the lack o transparency andoverabundance o partisanship all have

brought us to a point where people who de-pend on government to create a stable policy

environment can no longer do so.

Yes, uncertainty may be built into our repre-

sentative democracy, but so is the assumption

that our elected leaders will take responsibility

or bringing solidity to the policies that aectoursocietyandeconomy.Politiciansofboth

parties simply must step up their game, or

theyll create chaos.

Lee Hamilton is Director o the Center on Con-

gress at Indiana University. He was a member

o the U.S. House o Representatives or 34

years. For more about the Center on Congress,

visit www.centeroncongress.org

Washington Needs to Lead. Now.

(Continued from front page.)

Since 2004, the Ohio Supreme Court has

broadcast all o its proceedings live oncable television and over the Internet.

Not only has our use o cameras not

caused the types o problems our ederalcounterparts ear, but we believe it hasclearly enhanced the publics generalunderstanding o the judicial system.

I hope our counterparts in the ederal

system progress to where weve comeand open their doors or all the world tosee. Without that access, misconceptions

about what courts do will persist.

A 2007 study by two political scienceproessors examining previous research

on the publics knowledge and percep-tions o the courts concluded that themore the public knows about the courts,

the more positive their perceptions are.

Peopledistrustwhattheydontunder-stand, and we can hardly expect peopleto understand something they are not

permitted to observe rst hand.


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8

JCUWethePeopletutorsteachCleve-land area th graders the basics about

the Constitution, citizenship, and UnitedStates History. Teams o three to our tutors

teach an hour class on a weekly basis inurban schools. The year culminates with a

Simulated Congressional Hearing on JohnCarrolls campus where local ocials andother proessionals, such as state sena-

tors, judges, and lawyers in the area assessthe children on their knowledge o the

material.WethePeopleexposesClevelandarea students to John Carrolls campus and

provides positive role models in both thetutors and the judges. Tutors see growth incontent knowledge, public speaking skills,

and overall condence o the students. I

continue to return to the program each yearbecause o the relationships I have with thestudents, with the hope that I am making a

dierence in their lives.

Through John Carroll Universitys Center or Service and Social Action, undergraduate students serve as tutors in Cleveland-area classrooms to ulll aservice-learning requirement or simply volunteer. Beginning in 2006 with three elementary classrooms and 14 college students, the program now engagesover 500 children and approximately 70 undergraduates each year. JCU students are supported with textbooks and proessional development rom JCU

and the Ohio Center or Law-Related Education. Here, three JCU Student Coordinators share why the program is meaningul or both the elementary schoochildren and JCU tutors:

John Carroll University Students Make a

Difference in Cleveland Area schools

Youth or Justice empowers students in waysI could not have imagined. Each week, John

Carroll students take time out o their sched-ules to teach 8th graders that they do have a

voice in their communities, and that together,their voices will be heard. By researching

topics o injustice, and exploring the issuestogether, we are teaching students that theycan be an important part o a solution. This

program allows college students to buildmeaningul relationships and grow as individu-

als. In addition, the program provides studentsin Cleveland not only enriching material, but

also dedicated role models and riends. Thepower o this program, or me, is to watch JCUtutors and 8th grade students become more

civically engaged and witness the process ochange together.

ForthestudentsparticipatinginProject

Citizen, there are ew things quite so valu-able as the moment o awakening when

they realize that their voices were heardand their concerns were addressed. Lastyear, 10th graders were able to advocate

or stricter gun laws, more vegetarian lunchoptions, and better bullying policies. Many

high school students want to express theireelings to their superiors, but oten have

nooutlettodoso.ProjectCitizenbothteaches them and gives them access to themost eective ways to communicate with

policy makers. The John Carroll tutors arethe students biggest allies in the process.

Along the way, our JCU students have a

chance to put both coursework and socialjustice teachings into action. I am lookingorward to seeing what dierence we willmake this year.

By John Jackson,13;WethePeople

(5th grade class-room). Jackson is

a senior at JCU,pursuing a degree

in political scienceand a minor inentrepreneurship

and economics:

By Alyssa Gianni-

rakis, 14, Youth or

Justice (8th gradeclassroom).Giannira-

kis is a junior doublemajoring in political

scienc and communi-cations:

By Kyle Hutnick,13,ProjectCitizen

(10th grade class-room). Hutnick is a

senior pursuing adegree in sociology

with concentrationin criminology andpolitical science:


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A Note about OnlineRegistrationWhether you wish to attend a proessional de-velopment session, register a team or an up-

coming competition, or serve as a volunteer,the Centers online registration via our secure

site is as easy as a ew clicks o the mouse.Pleasenote:youdonothave to enter a credit

cardnumbertoregisteronline!Purchaseorder numbers and payments are acceptedin the payment portion o our online orms.

Questions? Call 877-458-3510 (toll-ree) .

Exciting Changes for Youthfor Justice!For the rst time, the Center is excited to oer

grants to outstanding Youth or Justice teamprojects. The Youth or Justice ImplementationGrant,upto$500,willprovidefundstohelp

selected teams implement service projectsshowcased during the May 7 Youth or Justice

Summit.Grantapplicationformswillbeavail-able January 10. Learn more and apply online

at www.oclre.org/youthorjustice/.

Youth or Justice is a service-based learning

program or students in grades our to nine.This year, teams showcasing projects at the

Summit will be divided by grade level. DivisionOne will include teams o students in grades

our to six; Division Two will include gradesseven to nine. At the Summit, teams will be

judged in their respective categories andOutstandingProjectAwardswillbepresentedor each division.

Attention Middle SchoolTeachers: Be Our Guest!The Center invites you to experience its middleschool programs rst-hand! This spring, wehope you will join us to observe Middle School

Mock Trial and/or Middle School We thePeopleStateShowcasesandtolearnmore

about how these exciting programs can help

you bring democracy to lie or your students.

Middle School Mock Trial April 11 & 12,2013 at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial

Center

Middle School We the People May17, 2013 at the Fawcett Center on the OSUcampus

Middle School Mock Trial blends social stud-ies learning about the law and the judicialsystem with important English/language

arts skills including reading classic literature,writing, and public speaking. Middle School

WethePeoplemeetstherequirementsofSB165 and is an interactive way to teach histori-

cal documents, including the US Constitution,Bill o Rights, Declaration o Independence,andtheFederalistPapers.

I you have questions, need additional

information,ortoRSVPastheCentersguest,[email protected] 614-485-3515.

We the People Updates:E-Books and Middle SchoolNational FinalsIn addition to the hardcopy textbook, theCenter or Civic Education now oers We the

Peoplee-books.WethePeopletextbooksareavailable digitally via Apple iBooks, Amazon

Kindle,GooglePlay,orBarnes&NobleNook.Visithttp://new.civiced.org/resources/ publications/ebooks to order.

The Center or Civic Education is also excited

to announce the inaugural Middle School WethePeopleNationalFinals,scheduledonMay3-7,2013onthecampusofGeorgeMason

UniversityinFairfax,Virginia.Forthersttimemiddle school students will have the opportu-

nity to bring their knowledge o constitutionalprinciples to Washington, D.C. and explore our

nations capital. Additional inormation can beound at http://new.civiced.org/middle-schoolnational-nals-2013 or by contacting the

Center or Civic Education at 818-591-9321.Space is limited to the rst 50 teams nation-

ally. I you are interested in sending your classtotherst-everMiddleSchoolWethePeople

National Finals, please contact the CenterforCivicEducationandTimKalgreenattkalgreen@oclre.orgor614-485-3515.

OCLRE PROGRAM UPDATES


10/12

10

In celebration o our 30th anniversary, the Ohio Centeror Law-Related Education is pleased to oer its activitybook or third and ourth grades at a special price o$40. Now produced in a convenient CD ormat, MYOHIO contains over 300 pages o classroom lessons

and activities including the special section What EveryOhioanShouldKnow.

MY OHIO is written to align with Ohios academic con-tent standards or the social studies, and also providesall the details teachers need to conduct the lessons andactivities, including background inormation, studentactivitypages,andassessments.Viewsamplelessonsand read teacher testimonials at http://www.oclre.org/TheCenter/myohio.htm

Anniversary Special Offer!Updated and Available on CD

Activities and Lessons for Grades 3-4


11/12

11


12/12

P.O.Box16562Columbus, Ohio 43216-6562

1700 Lake Shore DriveColumbus, Ohio 43204614-485-3510

Toll ree 877-485-3510www.oclre.org

NON-PROFITORG.U.S.POSTAGE

PAIDCOLUMBUS, OHIO

PERMITNO.4247

Reporter

Schedule of upcoming events for 2013

January 25: WethePeopleHigh School Competition Thomas J. Moyer OhioJudicial Center

January 25:WethePeopleProfessionalDevelopmentThomas J. Moyer OhioJudicial Center

February 1: High School MockTrial District Competition

February 22: High School MockTrial Regional Competition

March 7-9: High School Mock

Trial State Competition Columbus

April 11&12: Middle SchoolMock Trial Showcase

May 7: Youth or Justice Summit Rie Center, Columbus

May 17: Middle School We

thePeopleShowcase

Sept. 22 & 23: Law andCitizenship Conerence