KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, will convene court at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Mo., on Tuesday, June 20, 2006, and Friday, June 30, 2006, Chief Judge Edwin H. Smith 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 1:30 p.m.  The June 30 session will be held in conjunction with Missouri Girls State and will take place at the Morris Science Center on the CMSU campus beginning at 2:30 p.m.

A three-judge panel, consisting of Smith, Judge Lisa White Hardwick and Supreme Court of Missouri Judge William Ray Price, will hear oral argument at the Missouri Boys State session.  A second three-judge panel, consisting of Judge Harold Lowenstein, Judge Patricia Breckenridge and Supreme Court Judge Mary R. Russell, will hear oral argument at the Missouri Girls State session.

Smith 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 that 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.

Although the upcoming sessions will be the first appearances of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, at Boys and Girls State, the Court has heard oral arguments at CMSU for the last seven consecutive years.  The Court convenes regularly in Kansas City. During the past 14 years, however, the Court has 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," Smith 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.