7 February 2019
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, will once again convene court at Northwest Missouri State University, in Maryville, Missouri, Chief Judge Karen Mitchell announced today.
On Monday, March 11, 2019, a three-judge panel, consisting of Western District judges Cindy Martin, Thomas Newton and Gary Witt, will hold oral arguments at the J.W. Jones Student Union on the Northwest Missouri State University campus. The docket will begin at 1 p.m.
Mitchell explained the cases are appeals from previously held trials and other proceedings in area circuit courts. The judges will hear attorneys argue whether errors were made requiring the cases to be retried or the trial court’s judgment reversed, she said. The judges will read written arguments before the court session, she added, and may interrupt the attorneys’ oral arguments with questions.
The judges also will take time after the arguments to answer questions about the court system in Missouri, especially the appellate courts. Presiding Judge Martin was appointed to the court in 2009 and previously practiced law for more than 25 years in Kansas City and Lee’s Summit. Judge Newton was appointed to the Western District in 1999. He was a Jackson County circuit judge for six years before his appointment to the Western District. Previously, he served as an assistant Jackson County prosecuting attorney and an assistant United States attorney. Judge Witt was appointed to the Western District in 2010. Immediately prior to his appointment, he served as an associate circuit judge in Platte County. Previously, he practiced law in Platte County and served in the Missouri House of Representatives.
The March 11th session will be the eleventh time the Western District has sat for arguments in Maryville. Although the Court convenes regularly at its courthouse in downtown Kansas City, it also holds court frequently in other locations within the Western District. The Western District consists of 45 counties in central and western Missouri.
“It is important for the Court to convene oral arguments outside of the courthouse in Kansas City,” Mitchell said. “This gives individuals an opportunity to observe a part of the judicial system they normally do not see. We hope those attending will gain a better understanding of the Court’s function.”
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Note: Summaries of the cases to be argued are provided
solely for the interest and convenience of the reader, are not official
court records, and should not be quoted or cited as such.
Contact: Susan C. Sonnenberg, clerk of court
Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District(816) 889-3600