Oral Argument Hearing

Add to Calendar: Add to Calendar: 2022-10-06 11:15:00 2022-10-06 13:00:00 Oral Argument Hearing Event Description The Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals will hold an oral argument with a panel of judges which include two Case Western Reserve University School of Law alumnae. Co-Dean Jessica Berg will briefly introduce the court, which includes CWRU alumnae Judge Lisa B Forbes and Judge Emanuella D. Groves along with Judge Michelle J. Sheehan. After the hearing, the judges will leave the courtroom to deliberate. The attorneys will then hold a Q&A for our law students/faculty/staff. When the judges return to the courtroom to conclude the hearing, they will also do a Judges Q&A for our law students/faculty/staff.  Briefs filed in the appeal: Oral Argument Scheduling Order State v. Tyra Byrd Appellants Brief State v. Tyra Byrd Appellants Reply Brief State v. Tyra Byrd Appellees Brief  Speaker Bios Judge Lisa Forbes was elected to the Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.  Prior to joining the bench, Judge Forbes was a partner in the Cleveland office of the law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP where she practiced in the area of complex litigation.  As a litigator, Judge Forbes represented clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout Ohio for 27 years. Throughout her career, Judge Forbes has been an active and engaged member of the Northeast Ohio community including serving on the boards of the Centers for Families and Children and Circle Health for over a decade.  She is currently a vice chair of both boards and chair of the Quality Improvement, Risk and Program committees.  In addition, while practicing, she regularly wrote and presented on developments in and application of the law.        Judge Forbes graduated summa cum laude from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1992.  She served first as an associate editor on the law review and then as Executive Notes Editor.  Judge Forbes majored in public policy at Cornell University, graduating in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree.    Judge Emanuella D. Groves was elected to the Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020, her term commencing February 11, 2021.  Prior to her election, Judge Groves served 18 years as a trial court judge in the Cleveland Municipal Court where she was first elected in 2001.   Her commitment to justice and the well-being of the community is evidenced by the legacy she left at the municipal court. During her tenure at the Cleveland Municipal Court, Judge Groves created several court programs and initiatives to improve the Cleveland community. Recognizing that defendants who failed to appear for minor misdemeanor offenses should not unnecessarily sit in jail before being brought before a judge, Judge Groves spearheaded the 2009 change that now allows defendants to be processed and released. She created several education-related programs, including Get on Track—a GED program; ROCK (Redirecting our City Kids)—a curfew program for parents and children; and COP (Community Orientation Program)—a class that provides information on rights and responsibilities when encountering the police.   Additionally, in 2016, Judge Groves served on the Mental Health Specialized Docket, where her service garnered recognition by the National Alliance on Mental Illness and earned her the Valeria Harper Award for Cultural Competence in Mental Health.  In 2019, as chair of the Court Community Engagement Committee, Judge Groves spearheaded the Reinstatement Fee Amnesty Program, resulting in the elimination or reduction of over $300,000 of reinstatement fees owed by suspended drivers.  That same year, the Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board acknowledged Judge Groves’s advocacy and commitment, presenting her the Helping Hands Award. Judge Michelle Sheehan was elected to the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018.  Prior to being elected to the court of appeals, Judge Sheehan was a shareholder at a large litigation firm. She litigated cases in both state and federal courts on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants for over 25 years. She is one of 28 attorneys throughout the state of Ohio who is a certified appellate specialist by the Ohio State Bar Association. She has represented clients in appellate matters before the Ohio Supreme Court, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and almost every appellate district in the state of Ohio.  Judge Sheehan has served in various leadership roles within the community. She is a former President of the Ohio Women’s Bar Association and has held various leadership roles in local organizations including the CMBA, YWCA, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, and Rocky River Civil Service Commission, amongst others.  Judge Sheehan received her bachelor’s degree from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and her Juris Doctor degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where she met her husband, the Honorable Brendan J. Sheehan. She is also a member of the Florida Bar. Case Western Reserve University School of Law George Gund Hall Room A59, Moot Courtroom 11075 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44106 School of Law School of Law America/New_York public