High School Students Advance to Regional Mock Trial Competition

On January 18, 2019 more than 3,000 High School students entered courtrooms across the state to take part in the Ohio Center for Law Related Education’s (OCLRE) 36th Annual Ohio Mock Trial Competition
The Coshocton County Court of Common Pleas and Juvenile Court have sponsored Coshocton county teams for the past 5 years. District Competition for the local teams was held at the Licking County Courthouse, where Coshocton Scarlet and Coshocton Gray faced competition from Zanesville High School, Granville High School, Northridge High School and Zanesville Rosecrans, with 8 teams competing.

After a grueling day of students assuming roles as witnesses and attorneys to present both sides of an original, unscripted case based on a constitutional issue, the Coshocton Scarlet Team scored well enough to advance to Regional Competition on February 15. This is 3rd Coshocton county team in 5 years of competition to advance to the Regionals.
Jenna Stonebraker and Kevin Lobo were voted Best Attorneys for their role in the case while Evelyn Hire, Jenna Renalli and Will Fortube were voted best witnesses.

The 2019 Ohio Mock Trial case focuses on Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures as it applies to technology. Fictional defendant Quinn Woolf is charged with aggravated theft and telecommunications fraud for allegedly using a private, alphanumeric code to steal $120 million from the state pension fund. The catch is, the state used an aerial drone to obtain images of the defendant in the Woolf’s backyard.

Team Participants included:

SCARLET: Gage Haines, Jenna Renalli, Jenna Stonebraker, Kaitlyn Richard ,Rachel Simpson, Justin Conner, Ka’Leah Kreis and Evelyn Hire.

GRAY: William Fortune, Judah Nelson, Javin Robinson, Kevin Lobo, Tyler Nicely, Jack Sorrell, Lilly Whitcomb, and Caleb Shriver.

Coaches and Advisors for the Coshocton County Teams were:

Judge Robert Batchelor, Judge Van Blanchard, Prosecutor Jason Given, and Assistant Prosecutor Christie Thornsley.

The Juvenile Drug Court and Family Dependency Court of the Coshocton County Juvenile Court have earned final re-certification from the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Specialized Dockets, effective December 14, 2018 through December 31, 2021.

In order to receive the certification, the local court had to submit an application, undergo a site visit, and provide specific program materials in response to certification standards that went in to effect in January 2014.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor congratulated the Coshocton County Juvenile Court and Judge Van Blanchard II for receiving final certification.

“Specialized dockets divert offenders toward criminal justice initiatives that employ tools and tailored services to treat and rehabilitate the offender so they can become productive members of society,” said Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. “Studies have shown this approach works by reducing recidivism while saving tax dollars.”

Specialized dockets are courts that are dedicated to specific types of offenses or offenders and use a combination of different techniques for holding offenders accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of their behavior. There are more than 210 specialized dockets in Ohio courts that deal with issues such as:

• Drugs and Alcohol

• Mental Health

• Domestic Violence

• Human Trafficking

The standards provide a minimum level of uniform practices for specialized dockets throughout Ohio, and allow local courts to innovate and tailor to meet their community’s needs and resources.

“This certification allows us to continue to operate a valuable program both to participants and the community,” according to Coshocton County Juvenile Judge Van Blanchard II. “It brings together mental health, child welfare, and substance use disorder providers and the Court to collaboratively address an epidemic on an individual basis for children and families”.

The certification requirements include establishing eligibility requirements, evaluating effectiveness of the specialized docket, and assembling a treatment team for implementing daily operations of the specialized docket. The team can include licensed treatment providers, law enforcement, court personnel, and is headed by the specialized docket judge.

The Commission on Specialized Dockets has 22 members who advise the Supreme Court and its staff regarding the promotion of statewide rules and uniform standards concerning specialized dockets in Ohio courts; the development and delivery of specialized docket services to Ohio courts; and the creation of training programs for judges and court personnel. The commission makes all decisions regarding final certification.

Coshocton County Juvenile Court has operated a Juvenile Drug Court program since 2002 and a Family Dependency Court Program since 2014.

Our Diversion Program recently received recognition as a Research-Based Program from the Supreme Court of Ohio.

2018 Diversion Program Award

Below is a Program Description Review for the First year of our revised program.

Diversion Data 7-17 to 7-18

Security Enhancement Grant Letter of Approval

National Quality Improvement Center for Collaborative Community Court Teams selects Coshocton Juvenile Court for Project

QIC Site Selection Announcement

Coshocton County Probate Court will now be accepting e-filed documents.  The below-listed forms are currently being accepted:

• Annual Plan – Estate
• Annual Plan – Person
• Application to Expend Funds
• Application to Extend Time
• Application to Release Funds
• Application to Terminate Guardianship
• Certificate of Service of Notice of Hearing on Account
• Certificate of Service of Notice of Hearing on Inventory
• Guardian’s Account
• Guardian’s Inventory
• Guardian’s Report
• Notice of/Application for Change of Address
• Notification of Compliance with Guardian Education Requirements
• Waiver of Notice of Hearing on Account
• Waiver of Notice of Hearing on Inventory

Though the forms listed above relate only to guardianships; the Court is hopeful to expand the number of accepted documents in the very near future.

Coshocton County Juvenile & Probate Court Judge Van Blanchard II and staff members Doug Schonauer and Nathan Berry helped the local Coshocton County Fatherhood Initiative (CCFI) with its pancake breakfast at Ridgewood Elementary School on February 1-2, 2018. Over 452 children and dads in the Ridgewood District participated in the free breakfast and enjoyed the fellowship and awards prior to the school day.  Part of the CCFI mission is to empower fathers and promote strengthening families by having children spend quality time with dads.

Judge Van Blanchard II helps with cleanup activities at Ridgewood Elementary School where over 450 children and dads participated in the CCFI All-Pro Dad’s Pancake Breakfast on February 1-2.

Fair Housing Law for Landlords and Tenants

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Magistrate Maria Kalis
Coshocton County Juvenile Court

“The need is huge. I see it every day with my docket.”
 

“More and more cases involving children services due to drug issues are being filed as third party custody actions in the Coshocton County Juvenile Court. These grandparents, relatives and friends have no idea what they need to do, and are already under a heightened financial burden by taking in children – they can’t afford to hire attorneys.”

Magistrate Maria Kalis is not alone in her observations. SEOLS has heard similar concerns from judges and magistrates across the region over the last few years. To address these concerns in Coshocton County, Magistrate Kalis worked with her judicial colleagues to launch a pro bono clinic in 2016.

Coshocton County Judges Blanchard and Batchelor, along with Court Administrator Doug Schonauer, had discussed the need for a pro bono clinic in their county for some time. In 2016, Magistrate Maria Kalis was able to bring together key players to make the clinic a reality. Her experience on the bench in Coshocton County Juvenile Court, and her many years of volunteering at the Muskingum County Domestic Relations Clinic, were instrumental in starting the Coshocton County Family Law Clinic.

Magistrate Kalis facilitated conversations between Judge Blanchard and Judge Hooper in Muskingum County. She also brought SEOLS into the conversation to help organize and support the pro bono clinic.

The Coshocton County Family Law Clinic began in June 2016, and has been a great success with a consistent volunteer attorney presence and a growing number of clients attending the clinic each month. Magistrate Kalis commented that “the local attorneys have all been phenomenally supportive of the effort and have volunteered their time and knowledge to an amazing extent for such a small bar association.”

The coordination and support provided by the Coshocton County Juvenile Court has been key to the clinic’s success. Court Administrator, Doug Schonauer, schedules attorney volunteers for each clinic. While the Court provides the space, the Court is still separate from the clinic. SEOLS runs the monthly clinic, with Brenda Canella, a legal secretary from the SEOLS New Philadelphia office, attending each clinic to coordinate client intake and pro bono attorneys.

Magistrate Kalis believes that the clinic has been a great resource for the court to refer pro se litigants to. “The opportunity to meet with an attorney, even for a short time, provides invaluable advice and assistance that the litigants won’t be able to get any other way.”

To volunteer at the Coshocton County Family Law Clinic —or any other clinic in the SEOLS service area—please express your interest here. SEOLS offers free access to its trainings, CLE credit for your pro bono hours, and mentoring to new lawyers.

Courtesy of :
Southeastern Ohio Legal Services: Pursuing Justice, Changing Lives
DECEMBER ISSUE: Volunteer Spotlight – Maria Kalis 

Court Staff Receives National Certification

Nicole Shaw, Chief Probation Officer of the Coshocton County Juvenile Court recently received her Certified Court Manager (CCM) certification in a ceremony at The Thomas J. Moyer Judicial Center in Columbus. With 37 more court professionals achieving national certification recently, Ohio now employs nearly 300 certified court managers working in courts statewide.

Offered through a partnership between the Ohio Supreme Court’s Judicial College and the National Center for State Courts’ Institute for Court Management since 2002, the Court Management Program addresses specific training needs of court leaders.

Each court professional attained the credential by completing a three-year program of courses, including the purposes and responsibilities of courts, case flow management, and court performance standards.

Ohio is among a handful of states that bring this training program to court professionals so that traveling out-of-state isn’t necessary.

Participants represent all jurisdictions and regions of the state and include court administrators, elected and appointed clerks, chief probation officers and other court staff in management positions.

Supreme Court Justice Patrick F. Fischer offered his congratulations, as did Supreme Court Administrative Director Michael L. Buenger during a graduation ceremony at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center.