Supreme Court Opens Visitor Education Center
As part of an ongoing effort to increase public access and understanding of the courts, the Supreme Court of Ohio on Monday opened its Visitor Education Center, the first and only facility in Ohio dedicated to educating the public about the history and role of the judiciary.
Click here for video of the dedication ceremony (in order to view this video, you must have RealPlayer installed on your computer).
The $1.2 million project was conceived by Chief Justice Moyer and included in the original plans and budget for the historic renovation of the Ohio Judicial Center.
“The information, and more importantly the knowledge, with which visitors to this center will come away, will either broaden or reshape their view of civil society,” Moyer said. “That knowledge will sharpen their focus on an important reality—that the fundamental processes for resolving the great disputes of the past will also determine the resolution of disputes of today and tomorrow.”
“May all who visit here forever be grateful for the rule of law.”
Joining Moyer at the ribbon-cutting ceremony were Justices Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Terrence O'Donnell and Judith Ann Lanzinger and Judge Peggy Bryant of the 10th District Court of Appeals. Ohio Superintendent for Public Instruction Susan Tave Zelman delivered the keynote address, underscoring the importance of the center as a statewide educational resource. High school students from throughout the area also were in attendance.
“Civic education is so vital to a strong democratic state and nation,” Zelman said. “The civic education that our citizens will experience here at the Supreme Court Visitor Education Center is extraordinary.”
The center, located on the Ground Floor of the Ohio Judicial Center, 65 S. Front St., consists of 10 exhibit areas. The interactive exhibits and information panels offer student and adult visitors an understanding and appreciation of the history, role and responsibility of the Ohio court system.
The main exhibit illustrates key elements of significant Ohio court cases with items such as a model 9-foot canon, a bathroom sink and the back end of a car. Visitors can read the facts and law pertaining to the various cases and choose how they would decide before comparing their decisions with the actual opinions.
Visitors can also visit model courtrooms to observe the progression of trial and appellate court cases, or “walk through” a mediated case elsewhere in the room. Videos at various points throughout the center focus on significant cases in Ohio history and provide visitors with further insight into trial and appellate courts. The exhibit also features panels of the men and women who helped shape Ohio laws and courts.
A smaller exhibit traces the renovation of the Ohio Judicial Center, exploring the artistic styles and symbolism throughout, while a room directly across from the main exhibit area is set up for mock trials.
There is another small gallery for rotating exhibits scheduled to change approximately every 18 months. The first exhibit focuses on the era of film censorship. For 22 years, censors reviewed thousands of movies in the screening room that was located in the building. The exhibit highlights various films and discusses the history of censorship legislation and court decisions.
Work on the project began in March 2003, when planners held focus groups with teachers from suburban, rural and urban school districts to determine what core elements would make for a valuable educational resource. The teachers all made the same suggestion: incorporate the basics.
The center was designed by the nationally renowned design firm Gallagher & Associates. The Bethesda, Md., firm's portfolio includes a number of museums, visitor centers and learning facilities throughout the United States, including the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., the American Presidency exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution and the recently renovated National Archives.
The builder, Exhibit Concepts, Inc., of Vandalia, Ohio, has worked on facilities such as Oklahoma City National Memorial Center, as well as numerous exhibits at the Missouri Historical Society and the National College Football Hall of Fame.
Moyer's 18-year tenure has been marked by initiatives to increase public trust and confidence in the judiciary through access and education:
- Started the Off-Site Court Program in 1987. Twice per year high school students study the Court and attend an oral argument when the Court visits their hometown.
- Initiated the live broadcast of all oral arguments on cable TV and the Internet beginning in 2004. All cases orally argued since March 2004 can be viewed in the online archive at: http://www.SupremeCourtofOhio.gov/videostream.
- Placed the Court's dockets online earlier this year, enabling the public to track all cases before the Court through the Internet.
