The Supreme Court of Ohio - Supreme Court - State of Ohio

March 2009
Dear Citizens of Ohio:
2008 was a year of coming together for the Supreme Court of
Ohio and the Ohio judicial branch. In countless ways, large
and small, by unifying for a common cause, we succeeded in
improving the administration of justice for Ohioans.
In May, more than 500 people met for the Ohio Summit on
Children convened by Governor Ted Strickland and me. The
Summit was a two-day event where judicial, executive and
legislative leaders from every corner of the state worked to
enhance the safety and well-being of Ohio children. We will
reconvene in November 2009 to keep moving forward.
The three branches of Ohio government came together
with partners in the legal community to form a statewide
collaborative program to assist the growing number of Ohioans
facing foreclosure. The Supreme Court partnered with the
Ohio Department of Commerce and others to create Save the
Dream, Ohio’s extraordinary foreclosure assistance program that
consolidates state resources and initiatives into one program
that provides citizens with access to foreclosure assistance. In
particular, the Court supported efforts to recruit and train more
than 1,300 pro bono attorneys and to establish court-based
foreclosure mediation programs in every county.
Other collaborative successes in 2008 included:
• The introduction of racial fairness training into New
Judge Orientation.
• The statewide initiation of the Ohio Courts Network,
which soon will link every Ohio court in a unified
network for sharing case data and information.
• Development of a reference guide for judges
using interpreters and a video for training court
interpreters.
These and many more accomplishments are detailed in the
pages that follow. The 2008 annual report is a testament
to the good that comes when we work together. Through
collective effort and dedication to the rule of law, we will
continue to safeguard the rights of individuals and improve the
administration of justice for Ohioans.
Thomas J. Moyer
2008 Annual Report • The Supreme Court of Ohio