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Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Robert R. Cupp spoke March 27 to about 120 students from three high schools around the state about the role of the judicial branch in the system of checks and balances that forms Ohio’s government.
Through four one-hour videoconferences via the Internet, state government officials are connecting with high school social studies classes in live discussions of how different branches of government function; how they interact with each other; and their impact on issues affecting the citizens of Ohio. WOSU Public Media puts on the At Your Service: How Government Works series, and Justice Cupp served as the first guest.
“Talking with students about the role of courts, judges and the separation of powers will, I hope, bring their textbook lessons to life,” said Justice Cupp, who sponsored legislation and promoted state funding and support for the use of interactive video distance learning in schools as a state senator in the 1990s. “I applaud WOSU for initiating this project to engage more of our young people in civics and government. Hopefully, they will be more interested and better informed as a result.”
Justice Cupp is serving his first term on the Supreme Court of Ohio. An Allen County native, he was a judge on the Ohio Third District Court of Appeals and a State Senator for seven counties in west-central Ohio, a position he held for 16 years. Before being elected to the legislature, Justice Cupp was a Lima City Prosecutor and assistant director of law as well as an Allen County commissioner. He earned his political science degree from Ohio Northern University in 1973 and his law degree from Ohio Northern’s Pettit College of Law in 1976.