In the U.S. judicial system, judges are elected or appointed officials tasked with presiding over trials and maintaining order. They also review legality issues per the evidence submitted, provide instructions to juries prior to their deliberations, and in the case of bench trials, judges must decide the facts of the case and make a ruling. Additionally, judges are also responsible for sentencing convicted criminal defendants. For Judge Michael Fisher, his legal career began on the other side of the bench as an Assistant District Attorney for Allegheny County, PA. Prior to becoming a judge, Fisher was elected Attorney General of Pennsylvania in 1996 and re-elected in 2000 before being appointed by President George W. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 2003. Fisher officially resigned as Attorney General and assumed his judicial office shortly after Senate confirmation. For Justice Terrence O'Donnell, his legal career began at the Ohio Supreme Court as a law clerk in 1971. After practicing law for 6 years, he began his judicial service in 1980 on the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court - the busiest trial court in Ohio - and served there for 14 years until his election to the Eighth District Court of Appeals in 1994. He served there for 8 years and subsequently served as a visiting trial court judge in various counties throughout the state before joining the Supreme Court of Ohio in 2003 as its 149th justice. The judicial branch is notoriously shrouded in mystery and these two judges hope to demystify judicial decision-making and make the process more accessible. Purpose: Hear stories from the bench and learn more about the judicial process Facilitators: Mike Fisher, Terrence O'Donnell |
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