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Justice Maureen O'Connor of the Supreme Court of Ohio was the keynote speaker Thursday at a conference of the Ohio Bailiffs and Court Officers Association in Columbus where she addressed the challenges presented to court personnel regarding their security and that of the public.
“Through a collaborative effort, programs can be developed, training can be done, funding can be identified and secured, and the courthouse can maintain its place as a safe and secure institution where citizens can go to conduct business free from threat and danger,” Justice O'Connor said.
The Ohio Bailiffs and Court Officers Association is a non-profit organization that functions as a partner in the criminal justice system committed to meeting the training, educational and resource needs of its members.
Justice O'Connor was elected in 2002 as the 148th Justice on the Supreme Court of Ohio. She has experience as a practicing attorney, magistrate, common pleas judge, and prosecuting attorney. In 1998, she was elected as lieutenant governor and was the governor's chief advisor on criminal justice issues, serving as director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and as chair of Ohio's Security Task Force and the State Building Security Review Committee.
Since her election to the Supreme Court of Ohio, Justice O'Connor has continued to work for justice. In addition to her responsibilities hearing the array of cases presented to the Court, Justice O'Connor devotes herself to educational initiatives for Ohio's students and to matters of security, such as the new Advisory Committee on Court Security and Emergency Preparedness, which she chairs.
The agenda of the two-day conference of the Ohio Bailiffs and Court Officers Association includes discussions about personal safety training, courtroom security, assessing potential for violence in the courthouse, and emergency preparedness.
For a high resolution, publication-quality photo of Justice Maureen O'Connor, please click on the above photo or visit: http://www.supremecourtofohio.gov/Communications_Office/Press_Releases/images/justices/oconnor_highres.zip
Contact: Andrea M. Strle at 614.387.9250.