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During her tenure on the Supreme Court of Ohio, Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton has participated in not only the state's most significant court decisions, she has worked beyond the courtroom to make lasting contributions to the justice system both in Ohio and at the national level. Among her major accomplishments:
MENTAL HEALTH COURTS
Justice Stratton's concern about the treatment of criminal defendants with mental illness provides another example of her leadership outside the courtroom. Jails and prisons have often become the alternative to those released from hospitals without the support of adequate mental health care in the community.
She formed the Supreme Court of Ohio Advisory Committee on Mental Illness and the Courts, a task force comprised of representatives from the Ohio Department of Mental Health, the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, judges and other key partners from around the state. The group focuses on mental health initiatives in the court system and offers suggestions as to how these programs should be modeled and their effectiveness measured. Such a proposal is similar to drug courts, where a portion of the court's trial docket is reserved for hearing drug-related cases.
The task force is also exploring possible resources that might be coordinated to provide more effective solutions in these difficult cases. With a partnership between courts and the mental health system, Justice Stratton believes many of these defendants whose mental illness is the basis of their criminal activity can be helped and their lives improved. Such reforms can also result in great savings to the legal system. Ohio has now become a national leader in the development of mental health courts and dockets.
Justice Stratton also leads several national efforts toward helping persons with mental illness. She co-chairs the Judges' Leadership Initiative, which supports mental health efforts, and the Returning Home Advisory Commission, which assists in the re-entry by persons from jails and prisons in order to reduce recidivism and its cost to society.ADOPTION
Justice Stratton has been a leading Ohio advocate for children in need. As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, she has been dedicated to the Foundation's efforts, particularly as to reforms in the legal system, and in the establishment of the Dave Thomas Center for Adoption Law at Capital University Law School. The Center is unique with its exclusive focus on adoption and child welfare legal reform.
Justice Stratton has also become a nationally recognized leader in adoption reform. In 2000, she authored the appellate rules and amendments to the Supreme Court of Ohio Rules of Practice that expedite appeals in adoption cases. As a result, all Ohio appellate courts now adhere to much shorter timelines in these sensitive cases. These improvements in Ohio's appellate system have had a substantial impact. They also provide a recognized model for other states to follow.
At the request of the National Center for State Courts, Justice Stratton chaired a national effort to assist appellate courts nationwide in developing and enacting their own expedited appellate rules for adoption and child welfare cases. Chief Justices in all 50 states responded to her request to designate a key leader to work with her committee on improving the adoption process in their respective states. As a result, 43 states now have in process some form of expedited appeals. Justice Stratton continues to work to implement this process.COURT SECURITY
Justice Stratton has played a key role as former co-chair of the Ohio Court Security project whose goal is to ensure that all Ohio courtrooms are safe and secure places where disputes can be resolved and justice achieved. Funded by an $11 million appropriation from the Ohio General Assembly, the project provided for a review of each court's security needs along with subsequent recommendations for improvement, extensive training for judges, court employees and court security personnel, and grants for needed security equipment. Because of the heightened security needs for courts since September 11, 2001, Ohio's upgraded court security system is ahead of its time in preparedness.
JUDICIAL EDUCATION
Justice Stratton has worked with the Ohio Judicial College to develop a two-tiered, two-week course for new Ohio judges that includes very practical information on a wide range of topics from how to correctly process criminal pleas to managing busy civil case dockets. As a result, new judges in Ohio now have available to them a much needed resource to enhance their effectiveness.
In addition to teaching new judges, Justice Stratton continues to commit personal time to judicial education as a frequent lecturer at the National Judicial College and in seminars for judges and attorneys. She also accepts numerous public speaking engagements designed to educate the general public about the judiciary. She especially enjoys sharing her insights with high school students and tries to inspire them to believe they can achieve their goals by sharing her story of coming to America with only $500 and working her way through college and law school.IMPROVING CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Justice Stratton also served on the Board of Trustees for the Children for a Safe America Foundation, whose purpose is to help kids deal with violence through the use of art, writing, and expression. One of their most effective projects has been the distribution of a book written by prisoners called "Unlived Lives," in which prisoners recount their firsthand personal experiences in an effort to dissuade students from following a life of crime. She continues on their Advisory Council.
Justice Stratton also has been active in the Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections (formerly Ohio Community Corrections Organization), an association that works to improve cooperation, coordination and resources among the many groups that deal with community corrections as an alternative to prison. Although known as the "Velvet Hammer" when a trial judge, Justice Stratton is also firmly committed to the need to turn around the lives of many who find themselves in the criminal justice system.
SAVING SIGHT
Justice Stratton has long been committed to eye care and safety. As a new lawyer, she became involved in Prevent Blindness Ohio and recently completed two years as state board chair. With 500,000 Ohio children with undetected or untreated problems, the challenges are many. PBO provides vision screening for all ages, free eye exams and eyeglasses for needy children and adults, and promotes eye safety at home, in sports and at work.
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You can find speeches given by Justice Stratton HERE.
