Ohio Supreme Court Justices French and Kennedy visit Xenia

Justices Judith French and Sharon Kennedy visited Xenia High School. The program was sponsored by the Greene County Republican Party Xenia Women's Club. The topic for discussion was the Ohio Judicial System and how the Ohio Supreme Court impacts the daily life of Ohioans. Their decisions touch our lives in many ways. Certainly Second Amendment advocates and gun owners know those decisions.

Justice Kennedy addressed the audience first. She explained the three branches of Ohio government before delving into the structure of the Ohio Judicial System. This background ensured the audience had the same basic understanding of Ohio's system of government and justice. It is important to understand that the people control the government. People must understand the function of each branch and be involved in the process. There are too many, both in government and other influential areas such as the media, who think government should control the people.

Justice Kennedy, "The judicial branch recognizes what the Founding Fathers meant when framing our system of government. The judicial branch maintains the balance of the other two branches. It is interesting that the oath I took as an Ohio Supreme Court Justice, to uphold the constitutions of the United States and the State of Ohio, is the same oath I took as a trial court judge and when sworn in as a police officer. After taking the oath of office, I was provided a robe. Our robes don't come with a magical pen or insight to make everything perfect."

Justice Judith was appointed by Gov. Kasich and is the 155th Justice. She said, "I love this job. It is a dream job. While that sounds lofty, I'm just like you. My parents came to Ohio from West Virginia. They were seeking a better job and a better future for their family. It is a great pleasure to travel all 88 counties last year and in 84 counties so far this year."

Justice French explained the proceedings of the court when arguments are presented. I was somewhat surprised to learn that following oral arguments, the justices immediately go into conference. They are seated in order by seniority with the Chief Justice at the head of the table. Each justice presents their views, uninterrupted by the other justices. One of the more interesting aspects of the court is the process to determine who writes the majority opinion. I hadn't given this much thought but rather assumed it was some defined process within the rules of the court or traditions. I was only partially correct. Each Justice has a randomly drawn numbered marble. All the marbles are put into a billiard pill box. The Justice whose number comes out of the box is assigned to write the majority opinion. While a tally is kept to ensure no single Justice is getting too many decisions to write, there is no trading or refusing a decision.

The opportunity to meet the Justices and understand they are real people with backgrounds like many Ohioans is important. They come from similar backgrounds as many Ohio residents. We can relate to the hard work and education to make a better life. They certainly possess a desire to make Ohio a better place to live and raise our families. These are very much common goals for most of us.

Justice Kennedy spoke with passion about the importance of having elected judges throughout the judicial system. She said, "It is important for people to control government." That sentence still rings very loud and very true to me. Too many times we see people who want the government to control us. Elected officials who refuse to listen to "we the people" and try to impose their will usually under some guise to make us safer. Electing our highest court members is important.

Justices Kennedy and French have both earned the 2014 endorsement of Buckeye Firearms Association PAC.

Be an informed voter, research all candidates and get to the polls to make your voice heard!

Outdoor writer and hunter education instructor Larry S. Moore is a long-time volunteer leader for Buckeye Firearms Foundation and winner of the 2005 USSA Patriot Award, the 2007 League of Ohio Sportsmen/Ohio Wildlife Federation Hunter Educator of the Year and the 2010 National Wild Turkey Federation/ Women in the Outdoors Hunter Education Instructor of the Year.