Articles - Sharon L. Kennedy

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon L. Kennedy spoke at the Prime Time Office on Aging in Steubenville on August 26.

Justice Kennedy spoke to members about the Ohio judicial system and their rights and responsibilities within that system. Her interactive presentation covered the three branches of government, the judicial system in Ohio, as well as an insider's view into the responsibilities of the Ohio Supreme Court.

"A basic knowledge of our government's three branches and how those co-equal parts interact as a whole is the first step to understanding your judicial system," Justice Kennedy told members.

She went on to discuss the ways in which the U.S. Constitution provides checks and balances, pointing out the responsibility of judges to uphold that balance by interpreting laws rather than rewriting them.

"The citizens of Ohio are the ones who control the creation of law through their congressional representatives," she said. "When the judicial branch starts legislating from the bench, they are silencing the people's collective voice."

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.