Oral arguments are today in the State of Ohio v. Travis Blankenship before the Ohio Supreme Court. At issue: Do the mandatory sex-offender classifications in Ohio law constitute cruel and unusual punishment if the classification is grossly disproportionate to the nature of the offense and the character of the offender?
The court session begins at 9:00 a.m. but there is no exact time when the Blankenship case will be heard. Each side has 15 minutes to argue their case, so the hearing is expected to last about half an hour. You can watch the live stream by clicking this link. The video also will be archived and available for later viewing.
For our readers in Columbus, Ohio: The hearing is open to the public at this street address: Ohio Supreme Court, 65 Front Street, Columbus, Ohio.
Finally, the case file is online — briefs, memorandums, etc. Click here.