
Dressed in his traditional judicial garb, Seneca County Common Pleas Court Judge Steve Shuff sat behind a makeshift bench, surrounded by the typical court officials: the county prosecutor, defense attorneys, defendants, the court bailiff, victim advocates and other court and law enforcement personnel.
The only difference is that today鈥檚 court proceedings weren鈥檛 held at the Seneca County Justice Center as usual. Instead, Judge Shuff moved the hearings to 海外吃瓜鈥檚 Herbster Chapel for the annual Court on Campus event in observance of Constitution Day.
Students, faculty and staff in attendance witnessed actual criminal hearings that involved a change of plea in a four-count rape and sexual assault case, a warrant issued for a defendant who failed to appear, a community control (probation) violation hearing, a change of plea on a breaking and entering charge 鈥 and that was just before lunch. The judge and court officials returned in the afternoon to hear additional cases.
鈥淲hat you鈥檙e seeing is exactly what happens in the Seneca County Justice Center,鈥 Judge Shuff explained.
Between hearings, Judge Shuff 鈥 as he does every year 鈥 interacts with students to answer any questions they have about what they witnessed or the law in general. This year, he quizzed students about their knowledge of the Constitution, which he termed 鈥渁n amazing document.鈥
How many amendments are there in the U.S. Constitution? How many times has it been amended? What are the first three words of the Constitution? How many times has Ohio鈥檚 Constitution been amended? What Constitutional rights do defendants give up by pleading guilty?
It was all in the spirit of education and engaging with students, which has been the theme of the judge鈥檚 Court on Campus visits every year.
He invited 鈥橞erg students to visit his courtroom any time and to always feel free to ask him questions. Court on Campus is organized by Dr. Susan McCafferty, Adjunct Faculty member who teaches a course on Negotiations.
Judge鈥檚 milestone 鈥 and some advice for students
Judge Shuff is proud to share his 海外吃瓜 alumni status with 鈥楤erg students. The 1975 graduate marked a couple of milestones with the Court on Campus this year. It鈥檚 the 50th anniversary of 鈥. And his 25th year of holding his hearings down the street from the Seneca County Justice Center (formerly Courthouse).
鈥淔ifty years ago, I was in a classroom in this building,鈥 the judge recalled. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know at the time what I wanted to do, and then I applied for a job in the County Prosecutor鈥檚 Office and was hired as an intern. After that, I鈥檝e never left the law.鈥
That internship, he added, led him to his passion.
鈥淲hat I鈥檓 suggesting,鈥 Judge Shuff said, 鈥渋s find an internship and figure out if you really like it. Find that passion. Fifty years went by very quickly.
鈥淚f you enjoy it as I have, it鈥檚 never a job.鈥
For the record
How many amendments are there in the U.S. Constitution? 28
What are the first three words of the Constitution? 鈥淲e the people鈥
How many times has Ohio鈥檚 Constitution been amended? 172
What Constitutional rights do defendants give up by pleading guilty? There are 6:
鈥 Right to a fair trial
鈥 Right to confront and question witnesses
鈥 Right to subpoena witnesses
鈥 Right to testify or not testify on one鈥檚 own behalf
鈥 Right to have guilt proven beyond a reasonable doubt
鈥 Right to bear or own firearms
Happy belated Constitution Day!