NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

High school students from Spencer Center in Cincinnati visited the Potter Stewart United States Courthouse on April 14, where they watched a real court hearing and spoke with a Federal Judge. 

The students also had the opportunity to learn from a Court probation officer and court reporter, a federal prosecutor, and others. Case Administrator Emily Hiltz gave the tour.

Government teacher Joshua Harris said it was a special opportunity for the students. 

"It's great to get out of the classroom and visit places and watch people do the things we are talking about in class," Harris said. 

The students sat in the gallery and watched a hearing in which a defendant previously convicted of a crime was accused of violating the conditions of his release. United States District Judge Matthew W. McFarland presided over the hearing. 

The students watched as the defendant admitted to some of the accusations. They also saw Judge McFarland postpone sentencing because of other good work the defendant has done, such as finding full-time employment. The Judge encouraged the defendant to stay on the right track and ordered him to appear again before him in six months. 

After the hearing, Judge McFarland spoke with the students and answered every question they had about Court procedures, the role of the Judge and others in the courtroom, how he became a Federal Judge, and the importance of the Judiciary.

"I thought it was great that he talked about where he grew up, how 20 years ago he never saw himself as a Federal Judge, and here he is now," Harris said. 

“It’s always a great pleasure to speak to students about the federal court system and let them see justice at work,” Judge McFarland said. “I enjoyed answering their well thought out questions and hopefully inspiring some of them to enter the law as a profession.” 

Harris said some students have approached him and expressed an interest in a career in the Judiciary. He would encourage teachers from other schools to consider a field trip to a federal courthouse. 

"I would recommend this to others, 100%," he said. 

Those interested in organizing a school field trip or bringing a civic group to the federal courthouses in Cincinnati, Columbus, or Dayton can do so by contacting the Clerk of Court's Office.  

• Cincinnati 513-564-7500
• Columbus 614-719-3000
• Dayton 937-512-1400

Read the original article on the Southern District of Ohio website.

In a few months we will observe the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. That document announced the formation of a new nation and laid the foundation for the rule of law in that new nation. With its soaring, aspirational proclamations that all persons “are created equal” and “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,” the Declaration laid the groundwork for federal courts to interpret the Constitution and give meaning to concepts such as liberty, equality, and justice.

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In a recent column, we wrote about judicial restraint and its critical role in retaining public respect and support for the federal judiciary. In this column, we will write on a related topic: judicial temperament.

JUDICIAL TEMPERAMENT: HOW JUDGES CONDUCT THEMSELVES.

Like judicial restraint, judicial temperament concerns how a judge conducts him or herself. And like judicial restraint, it is often taken for granted or not noticed until it is absent.

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The Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky have reappointed Regina S. Edwards to another eight-year term as a United States Magistrate Judge, effective July 28, 2026.  This action follows the unanimous recommendation to the court from a merit selection panel comprised of attorneys and lay persons from within the Western District, following the statutorily required public notice and comment period.

As a United States Magistrate Judge, Judge Edwards conducts initial proceedings in criminal cases, manages pretrial matters in civil and criminal cases, conducts pretrial conferences and settlement conferences, conducts Social Security appeals and prisoner litigation, presides over misdemeanor trials, and presides over civil trials with the consent of litigants. 

Judge Edwards was first appointed to be a United States Magistrate Judge by the court for an eight-year term that commenced on July 26, 2018.

General Order 26-01

A "Nation of Immigrants": Judge Preston Deavers Presides Over Final Naturalization Ceremony

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a courtroom filled with emotion and a sense of pride, United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Preston Deavers presided over her final naturalization ceremony on February 26, 2026.

Marking the end of a 16-year career on the federal bench, Judge Preston Deavers welcomed more than 50 new Americans. To mark the occasion, she invited participants of EveryBody Works—a transition program that blends secondary education and vocational training for individuals with disabilities—to witness the proceedings from the jury box.

Read the full article on the Southern District of Ohio website.

WYSO attended a citizen naturalization ceremony held at Archbishop Alter High School. The ceremonies are sometimes held outside of the courthouse to show how important the occasion is for these new Americans.

Read the full article at WYSO.org.

February is Black History Month. In the past, in tribute to Black History Month, we have written on significant historical figures in the federal judiciary or important court cases that contributed to our understanding of Black History. This year, we will take a different tack. We will highlight the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and its role in the civil rights struggle of the 1950s and 1960s.

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One of the ways in which the courts reinforce public confidence in the judiciary and the rule of law is judicial restraint. Judicial restraint calls for modesty in judges’ rulings, language, temperament, and official behavior. It requires the exercise of great discipline on the part of the judge.

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Federal judges understandably receive the most public attention in carrying out the judiciary’s responsibility of upholding the rule of law, interpreting the Constitution, and striving to see that justice is done. But for judges to meet this responsibility, the assistance of many others is necessary. For the most part, these are people who quietly do essential work behind the scenes. Among these unsung workers are the members of the United States Marshals Service.

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Two closely related words that animated the call for independence from Great Britian were liberty and freedom.  Those two words called not only for independence from the then-governing power but also for individual liberty and freedom for the colonists.  And by that, they meant the liberty and freedom to live their lives without undue government intrusion or interference. 

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