From the MU News Bureau
NORTH MANCHESTER — Appeals on Wheels, which features oral arguments of the Indiana State Court of Appeals, will bring a case to the campus to facilitate learning about the judicial branch. It will take place in the Jo Young Switzer Center, upper level, at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18. It is free and open to the public.
The case is Larry C. Perry, Jr. v. State of Indiana. Originating in Fort Wayne, it involves the appeal of Perry’s battery convictions on a number of charges and a finding that he is a habitual offender. The appeal argues that his convictions were not supported by sufficient evidence and that his sentence was inappropriate in light of the nature of the offenses and his character.
The panel of judges presiding over the case include judges Robert R. Altice Jr. of Marion County and Terry A. Crone and Michael P. Barnes of St. Joseph County.
“Students will observe the Court of Appeals in action,” said Leonard Williams, MU professor of political science and dean of the College of Education and Social Sciences. “However, it will not be like trial courts portrayed on TV or in the movies. There will be no witnesses, no evidence, no surprise endings.”
Attorneys for the parties represented in the case present statements to the judges and answer questions that may arise. When a decision is ultimately made by the court, it will be shared with the University.
Not only will audience members see how attorneys and judges argue about the law, but the judges will also answer general questions unrelated to that case and help explain the judicial process.
Courtroom decorum must be observed: No phones, cameras, talking, eating or drinking will be allowed.
According to the Appeals on Wheels website, the program has conducted more than 500 cases since it began in 2001. The program travels to high schools, colleges and law schools, as well as conferences, tourist sites and retirement centers.
Williams worked to bring Appeals on Wheels to the North Manchester campus for the Values, Ideas and the Arts series, which is designed to offer academic credit to undergraduate students who, through the process, gain cultural exposure, artistic experiences and intellectual enrichment.