Eleventh District Court of Appeals Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice

Eleventh District Court of Appeals Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice

Eleventh District Court of Appeals Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice today served as a visiting judge on the Ohio Supreme Court.

Judge Rice replaced Justice Terrence O’Donnell who recused himself from Janine Lycan, et al. v. City of Cleveland (Case No. 2014-0358). The case out of Cuyahoga County is about whether drivers who lease their vehicles can file a class action suit disputing traffic-camera citations if they paid the fine and didn’t appeal the fees prior to the suit.

According to the Ohio Constitution, in the event of a recusal by a justice, the chief justice can select any of the 69 sitting Ohio appellate court judges to sit temporarily on the Supreme Court. Judge Rice last served as a visiting judge on the Supreme Court in May 2007.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be asked to sit as a visiting judge on the Ohio Supreme Court,” Judge Rice said. “This is the most impressive courtroom in our state, and it is fitting that the arguments on cases of statewide interest be heard in such a prestigious setting.  The courtroom reflects the solemnity of the court’s proceedings and is a constant reminder to all those who appear before the justices that the court’s decisions impact the entire state.” 

Judge Rice has served on the appellate bench since 2003. Prior to serving as a judge, she was a Trumbull County assistant prosecutor, an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and worked in private practice. She received her law degree from the University of Akron School of Law.

The Eleventh District Court of Appeals serves five counties in northeast Ohio, and hears cases from county, municipal and common pleas courts as well as original actions in habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, procedendo and quo warranto.