Fair and impartial courts are critical to democracy and the rule of law. Can our courts withstand an era when personal attacks on judges and legislative assaults on courts have become frequent? This CMC forum explores the role of courts in preserving American democracy, and the role that civic education can play in protecting a fair and impartial judiciary. 

The panelists are: 

Mike Curtin, former associate publisher of The Columbus Dispatch, and a former Member of Ohio House of Representatives; 

The Honorable Richard Frye, Judge with the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas; 

Kathleen Trafford, Counsel to the Firm, Porter Wright, and a Fellow with The American College of Trial Lawyers; 

And The Honorable Michael Watson, Judge with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio; 

The host is Yvette McGee Brown, Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice and currently, a Partner with Jones Day. 

CMC’s Democracy in Crisis series partner is WOSU Public Media.  

This forum was sponsored by The Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer Legacy Committee of the Ohio State Bar Association and by Ulmer and Berne.  

This forum was recorded live at The Boat House in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, September 7, 2022.