DePauw to Host Session of Indiana Court of Appeals April 7

March 29, 2005, Greencastle, Ind. - In an effort to bring the workings of the judicial system closer to the people it serves, the Indiana Court of Appeals will come to DePauw University to hear oral arguments on a pending case in a session that will be open to the public. The hearing is set for Thursday, April 7, at 10 a.m. in the Emerson Room of Walden Inn. Normal courtroom rules of decorum will apply.

A three-judge panel of Terry A. Crone (DePauw '74), Patricia A. Riley, and Margret G. Robb will hear the case of "KLLM Inc. and Keith Pierce v. LaCrecia E. Legg, as personal rep. of the Estate of Mark Hanna and Laura Brewer." A summary of the case at the Court of Appeals Web site states: "Mark Hanna was traveling with Keith Pierce as a passenger in Pierce's tractor-trailer when Hanna was killed as a result of an accident that occured while Hanna was assisting Pierce as Pierce pulled his tractor-trailor out of a parking space. Pierce was driving the tractor-trailer on KLLM, Inc.'s behalf at the time of the accident. KLLM, Inc. and Pierce subsequently filed an action for declaratory judgment to determine whether Indiana's Guest Statute, Indiana Code section 34-30-11-1, applied to the case at hand. The trial court ultimately found that Indiana's Guest Statute did not apply, and KLLM, Inc. and Pierce now appeal." 

The plaintiff's attorney and defendant's attorney will each be given thirty minutes to argue their case. Often, the judges will ask questions during the presentations. The panel of judges will take the arguments under advisement and issue an opinion at a later date. After the hearing, the public will have an opportunity to ask questions of the judges. However, due to the Code of Judicial Conduct, the judges will not be able to answer specific questions about the case -- only general inquiries about the legal system. The judges will also be available for photographs.

The Indiana Court of Appeals regularly holds oral arguments in communities across Indiana. "I think that sometimes people feel the judicial system is too far removed from them," says Judge L. Mark Bailey of the First District, which includes Putnam County. "We want to change that impression by bringing our Court directly to the people so that people across the state have a convenient way to see how this part of the legal system works. For schools, in particular, we feel this is a worthwhile educational endeavor."

Bruce Stinebrickner, professor of political science and chair of the department, who is coordinating the event, adds, "We all know that DePauw has lots of prominent and interesting speakers, many of whom discuss and analyze government policies and the like. But the appearance of the Indiana Court of Appeals on campus represents a first, as far as I can recall. The three judges won't be merely discussing and analyzing government policies; they'll actually be engaged in the process of governing. This will be a real court case in which the second highest state court in Indiana will be gathering information. It will be state government in action, right on the DePauw campus. For members of both the DePauw and Greencastle communities, this seems like a great opportunity to witness and learn about government at work."

Dr. Stinebrickner also cites the invaluable assistance of Putnam Superior Court Judge Matt Headley in making this event possible.

Visit the Indiana Court of Appeals online by clicking here.

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