Administrative Office of Courts
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Court of Appeals to visit four college campuses this fall September 21, 2022 The Mississippi Court of Appeals will convene on four college campuses in September, October and November. Three-judge panels of the Court of Appeals will hear appeals on Sept. 28 at the University of Mississippi School of Law, on Oct. 19 at Alcorn State University, on Nov. 9 at Mississippi State University and on Nov. 15 at Rust College. The Court of Appeals’ Court on the Road program will crank up for the first time since early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic halted visits by the Court to college campuses. The Court on the Road program schedules oral arguments on college campuses and occasionally at other locations as a teaching tool to give students and the public opportunities to watch proceedings in cases on appeal. Court on the Road offers a unique learning experience for students with an interest in law, government, journalism and a variety of other fields. The general public may attend to gain a better understanding of appellate court proceedings. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Donna Barnes of Tupelo said, “Our court is fortunate that statutes permit us to convene in places other than the Capital. That allows anyone, especially school groups, to attend in person and see first-hand how the system works.” “We are especially glad to sit at Oxford at the law school as we know many of the students will one day appear before us. This will give them a preview so that they can prepare,” Chief Judge Barnes said. She noted that seven of the 10 Court of Appeals judges earned at least one of their degrees from the University of Mississippi. The University of Mississippi School of Law will host a reception for law students and the judges starting at 4 p.m. Sept. 27, then judges will speak to an undergraduate government class on the University of Mississippi campus at 6 p.m. Sept. 27. Before the panel convenes to hear cases on Sept. 28, the judges will spend the morning visiting area high schools. Judges will speak to government classes at Oxford High School and Lafa-yette High School. Court of Appeals Judge Jim M. Greenlee of Oxford, who helped coordinate the visit to his hometown, said, “Court on the Road allows the Court of Appeals to visit different areas of the state. We appreciate the Ole Miss Law School’s hosting of our visit and supporting the Court’s hear-ing of oral arguments in two cases on appeal. Holding arguments at the Law School allows the law students, the University and the community to experience our system of justice in action. We thank the Law School, the University, and the two high schools, Lafayette and Oxford, for allowing this compelling interaction of the Court with our citizens.” The Court of Appeals scheduled oral arguments in two cases, at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Robert C. Khayat Law Center, 481 Chucky Mullins Drive. The proceedings will be conducted in Moot Court I, Room 2035. The 1:30 p.m. oral argument is in the appeal of Barry Haynes and Roy Collins Construction Company, Inc. v. Dorothy Beckward and Samu-el Beckward, Appeal No. 2019-CA-01508-COA. The case is an appeal of a jury verdict from Bolivar County Circuit Court. The lawsuit involved an automobile accident which occurred on Oct. 30, 2014. The 3 p.m. oral argument is in the appeal of Nicholas Sanders v. Casino Vicksburg, LLC, Appeal No. 2022-CA-00021-COA. The case is an appeal of a Warren County Circuit Court summary judgment ruling in a lawsuit over a wheelchair-bound paraplegic’s fall on a ramp at the Water-view Casino on Jan. 5, 2020. In each case on appeal, attorneys for both sides will have 30 minutes to make their arguments and answer questions from the judges. Judges talk with students after each oral argument and answer students’ questions, although they won’t talk about the pending cases. The Court of Appeals will convene at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 19 on the campus of Alcorn State University in Lorman. The appeal to be heard is the case of Amanda Kay Renfroe, Individually; S. WR., a Minor, By and Through His Mother and Next Friend Amanda Kay Renfroe; The Estate of Michael Wayne Renfroe; and Amanda Kay Renfroe, In Her Capacity as Adminstratrix of The Estate of Michael Wayne Renfroe v. Robert Denver Parker, In His Official and Individual Capacities; and Sheriff Randall Tucker, In His Official and Individual Capacities; Appeal No. 2021-CA- 1048-COA. The case is an appeal of a Madison Coun-ty Circuit Court summary judgement ruling in a lawsuit involving the fatal shooting of Michael Renfroe by a Madison County Sheriff’s Deputy on June 8, 2018. Cases have not yet been announced for the Court of Appeals’ planned visits to the Mississippi State University campus on Nov. 9 and the Rust College campus on Nov. 15. People wishing to watch an oral argument are asked to be seated 15 minutes before a proceeding is scheduled to begin. 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 Whitmore, e-mail jwhitmire@courts.ms.gov, fax 601-359-2407; and to Assistant Court Administrator Camille Henick Evans, e-mail cevans@courts.ms.gov, fax 601-576-4708. The Camera Coverage Notice form is at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/news/forms/camnotice.pdf. Media 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/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf. The oral arguments will not be broadcast via the court’s Internet website, since the Court of Appeals is convening in special sessions away from its camera-equipped courtroom. Documents filed in each case are available to be viewed on the Mississippi Judiciary website.
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