Court is in session

NORWALK — Judges from the Sixth District Court of Appeals held a special session in Norwalk Wednesday for the first time since 2011. The Ohio courts of appeals are established in the Ohio constitution and their primary function is to decide appeals from the common pleas, municipal and county courts. Ohio is divided into 12 appellate districts. The Sixth District Court of Appeals has its courthouse in Toledo and decides appeals from all trial courts across Erie, Fulton, Huron, Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Williams, and Wood counties. All cases are heard and decided by a three-judge panel, comprised of judges who are elected to their position by voters within the same region. There are five elected judges on the Sixth District Court of Appeals: Presiding Judge Myron Duhart and Judges Thomas Osowik, Christine Mayle, Gene Zmuda, and Charles Sulek. On Wednesday, Judges Duhart, Osowik, and Zmuda heard appeals from the following cases: Village of Wakeman v. Smith, Seisel v. Seisel, and State v. Farris. After each group of arguments, Duhart told the parties, "A decision will be rendered in due course." At the end of the session, Duhart thanked Huron County Common Pleas Court Judge James Conway for hosting the group. For some, the judges coming to Huron County Common Pleas Court presented an opportunity to learn more about the judicial system. Sue Lesch brought her grandson Xavier Smith to the courthouse to witness justice in action. "I'm just always impressed with the quality of the attorneys and the knowledge they have about the law," Lesch said after the session was over. "I'm grateful they came to Norwalk, Ohio." Lesch's grandson — an aspiring judge — said he was also impressed. "I thought that was neat," he said after the judges ended the session. "I'm just trying to learn about different types of law and everything that goes with it so I know how to plan for my future."