The Mississippi Court of Appeals to visit Alcorn State University in November
The Mississippi Court of Appeals will convene on three college campuses in November. Three-judge panels will hear oral arguments at Rust College on Nov. 7, Alcorn State University on Nov. 13, and Mississippi State University on Nov. 14.
The Court on the Road program schedules oral arguments on college campuses as a teaching tool to give students and the public opportunities to watch proceedings in cases on appeal.
Chief Judge L. Joseph Lee made the Court on the Road program a priority in his more than seven years a Chief Judge. “It's a unique learning opportunity. It affords the public and the students an opportunity to see how the court actually operates,” Judge Lee said.
Judges talk with students after each oral argument and answer their questions, although they don’t talk about the pending cases.
People wishing to watch an oral argument are asked to be in their seats 15 minutes before a proceeding is scheduled to begin.
Times and locations for the court proceedings are:
• 11:30 a.m. Nov. 13 in the Clinton Bristow Dining Facility at Alcorn State University, 1000 ASU Drive, Lorman, MS 39096;
The cases to be heard are:
• Nov. 13 at Alcorn State University, Charles E. Blake v. State, 2017-KA-01345-COA.
Blake was convicted on July 21, 2017, in Coahoma County Circuit Court of sexual battery by a person of authority. Circuit Judge Albert B. Smith III sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
The appellant brief on behalf of Blake is at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/appellatecourts/docket/sendPDF.php?f=dc00001_live.COA.17.KA.1345.11 4018.0.pdf&c=87121&a=N&s=2.
The appellee’s brief on behalf of the State of Mississippi is at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/appellatecourts/docket/sendPDF.php?f=web0001.COA.2017-KA-01345.23 17.0.pdf&c=87121&a=N&s=2.
Students of the Criminal Appeals Clinic at the University of Mississippi School of Law represented Blake for briefing, and George Holmes of the Indigent Appeals Division, Office of State Public Defender, will represent Blake at argument. Special Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey A. Klingfuss will represent the State at argument.
The oral arguments will not be broadcast via the court’s Internet web site, since the Court of Appeals is convening in special sessions away from its camera-equipped courtroom.
Any media organization which may wish to photograph or videotape the arguments must file a Camera Coverage Notice. Camera Coverage Notices should be directed to Clerk of the Court Jeremy Whitmire, fax 601-359-2407, and to Assistant Court Administrator Camille Henick Evans, fax 601-576-4708. The Camera Coverage Notice form is at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/news/forms/camnotice.pdf.
Photographers and videographers must be familiar with and follow the Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings. The camera coverage rules are available at https://courts.ms.gov/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf.
If individuals are interested in attending, please email Jeanette Howard at [email protected]or call at 601-877-3964 for more information.
