For the seventeenth consecutive year, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District will convene court at Missouri Western State University. The Court will sit at Missouri Western at 9 a.m. Tuesday, October 14 in the Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall 101.
A three-judge panel consisting of Karen King Mitchell, Cindy Martin and Gary Witt will hear oral arguments in five cases.
The cases are appeals from previously held trials in area circuit courts. During oral argument, the three-judge panel will hear attorneys argue whether error occurred in the trial below requiring retrial or reversal of the trial court’s judgment. The judges read written arguments before the court session, and may interrupt arguments from the attorneys with questions.
The judges will break at some point during the session to explain the judicial system in general and the appellate judiciary in particular.
The Court has made it a practice to convene yearly in St. Joseph. It regularly convenes in Kansas City and has jurisdiction over appeals from trial courts in 45 counties in western and central Missouri.
Mitchell will preside over the proceedings at Missouri Western. She was appointed to the court of appeals in 2009. Immediately prior to her appointment, she was Missouri’s Director of Revenue. Previously, she spent over 20 years in the Office of Attorney General. Martin was also appointed to the court of appeals in 2009. Before becoming an appellate judge, she practiced law for 25 years in the Kansas City area. Witt was appointed to the court in 2010. Immediately before his appointment, he served as a trial judge in Platte County. Previously, he practiced law in Platte County and served in the Missouri House of Representatives.
“It is important for the Court to convene oral arguments outside of 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.”
During the past 23 years, the Court has held sessions in Chillicothe, Clinton, Columbia, Fulton, Gallatin, Huntsville, Independence, Jefferson City, Keytesville, Kirksville, Lexington, Liberty, Linneus, Macon, Marshall, Maryville, Milan, Moberly, Nevada, Platte City, Richmond, St. Joseph, Savannah, Trenton, Tuscumbia and Warrensburg.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.