Articles - Sharon L. Kennedy

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon L. Kennedy addressed members of the St. Clairsville Rotary Club at the club's meeting on June 3, 2014.

Her remarks centered around the similarities between the Rotary Code of Ethics, otherwise known as the Rotary Four-Way Test, and the founding tenets of the American justice system.

"The principles of the Rotary Four-Way Test are the very principles that helped found this great country in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, and the application of the rule of law," Justice Kennedy said during her address.

One of the questions to ask according to the Four-Way Test is whether or not something is the truth, a standard that is vital to upholding justice, she said.

"Truth in the law starts at the beginning," she stated. "Law enforcement officers rely upon the truth to enforce the law. Truth gathered through observation and investigation. Prosecutors have a duty to seek the truth, and judges rely upon credible testimony and evidence in applying the law as written."

She concluded by encouraging those in attendance to strive to live according to the guiding principles of the Rotary Code of Ethics, and by doing so, uphold the very foundation of the U.S. legal system.

Justice Kennedy is serving her first term on the Supreme Court of Ohio. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Justice Kennedy served on the Butler County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division from 1999 to 2012. Justice Kennedy served as the administrative judge there from 2005 until December 2012. Justice Kennedy began her career in the justice system as a police officer in Hamilton, Ohio. She received her law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.