News

The Akron Municipal Court has formally launched a new outreach program entitled “Have Gavel, Will Travel.” The program’s goal is to schedule opportunities for Judges and Akron Municipal Court staff members to visit schools and other community groups to educate the public about its mission, specialized dockets, programming and timely topics.

Visits are free of charge and in most instances, related materials, such as pamphlets, can be provided by the Court.

“Everyone at the Akron Municipal Court enjoys visiting classrooms and other civic groups to discuss our Court’s overall goals and how we keep our community safe and help people who are struggling improve their lives,” said Akron Municipal Court Administrative/Presiding Judge Jon Oldham. “’Have Gavel, Will Travel’ will allow us to broaden our reach and meet more residents of our jurisdiction who are eager to learn about the work we do in our justice system.”

Ideal groups for “Have Gavel, Will Travel” include schools, churches, Scout troops, professional associations, leadership groups, non-profit organizations/agencies and neighborhood/homeowner associations headquartered in Summit County. Preference will be given to events in the Akron Municipal Court jurisdiction: the cities of Akron and Fairlawn; the townships of Bath, Richfield and Springfield; the Villages of Lakemore and Richfield; and the Summit County portion of Mogadore.

Judges and staff members will be assigned to each request based on the topic and availability. Topics that have been covered in past presentations include the importance of making good choices, human trafficking red flags, eliminating domestic violence, veteran issues, tools to overcome a drug and/or alcohol addiction, matters surrounding mental health, how to move on from a criminal past/obstacles and next steps for students wishing to pursue a legal career path.

The Court will continue to welcome Summit County based groups to the courthouse for field trip opportunities.

To schedule a visit as part of “Have Gavel, Will Travel,” please contact the Akron Municipal Court Community Outreach and Grants Coordinator Nicole Hagy by calling (330) 375-2186 or emailing NHagy@akronohio.gov.

Judge Jon Oldham at the Mandel Early Childhood Center at the Shaw JCC of Akron in November 2017