Fifth District Court of Appeals Judge W. Scott Gwin

Fifth District Court of Appeals Judge W. Scott Gwin

Fifth District Court of Appeals Judge W. Scott Gwin served as a visiting judge on the Ohio Supreme Court today to hear oral arguments in the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow case.

Judge Gwin sat in place of Justice Judith French, who recused herself from Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, Jeremy Aker, et al. v. Ohio Department of Education, Case no. 2017-0913). The case involves whether the Ohio Department of Education is legally permitted to impose a standard of student participation to determine the funding for an online community school.

According to the state 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 Court.

“I was very pleased to be asked to sit on the Supreme Court today on such an important case. The arguments were well-presented by both sides and present challenging legal issues, and it was very exciting,” said Judge Gwin.

Judge Gwin has served the Fifth District Court of Appeals since he was first elected in 1988. Prior to sitting on the bench, Judge Gwin served as an assistant attorney general for the state of Ohio from 1976 to 1985, and was in private practice. He received his law degree from the University Of Akron School of Law.

The Fifth District Court of Appeals serves 15 counties in central 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.