KANSAS CITY – The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District will convene court at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri on Friday, June 20, 2008 and Monday, June 23,2008, Chief Judge Victor C. Howard announced today. The June 20 session will be held in conjunction with Missouri Boys State and will take place at Hendricks Hall on the CMSU campus beginning at 9:30 a.m. The June 23 session will be held in conjunction with Missouri Girls State and will also take place at Hendricks Hall beginning at 2:45 p.m.
A three-judge panel consisting of Judge James M. Smart, Judge Alok Ahuja and Missouri Supreme Court Judge Michael Wolff will hear oral argument at the Missouri Boys State session. A second three-judge panel consisting of Western District Judge Lisa White Hardwick, Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Laura D. Stith and Circuit Judge Jacqueline Cook will hear oral argument at the Missouri Girls State session.
Howard explained that the cases are appeals from previously held trials in area circuit courts. The judges will hear attorneys argue whether the trials had errors which should cause them to be retried, or the trial court's judgment reversed, he said. The judges will read written arguments before the court session, he added, and may interrupt the attorneys’ arguments with questions.
Missouri Boys State is sponsored by the American Legion and Missouri Girls state is sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary. They exist to teach the fundamentals of citizenship, government and politics to the brightest high school juniors in the state. Participants learn first hand the inner workings of the three branches of state government—the executive, the legislative and the judicial.
The upcoming sessions will be the third consecutive appearances of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District at Boys and Girls State. The Court convenes regularly in Kansas City. However, during the past sixteen years, the Court has also held sessions in Chillicothe, Clinton, Columbia, Fulton, Gallatin, Huntsville, Independence, Jefferson City, Kirksville, Lexington, Liberty, Linneus, Macon, Marshall, Maryville, Moberly, Nevada, Platte City, Richmond, Saint Joseph, Savannah, Trenton, Tuscumbia and Warrensburg.
"It is important for the Court to convene oral arguments outside of Kansas City," Howard 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.
For additional information, please contact Terence Lord, Clerk of the Court, by telephone at (816) 889-3600, or by e-mail at tlord@courts.mo.gov.