| Nevada Supreme Court Again Taking Justice across Nevada |
| Thursday, 07 May 2009 07:57 | |||
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The Nevada Supreme Court will be back on the road this week, with a panel holding oral arguments in Elko on May 7 and Winnemucca on May 8. It will be the first time in the state’s history that the high court has held arguments in the north-central Nevada community of Winnemucca. For Elko, it will be the third time to have a visit from the Supreme Court. The panel composed of Justices Michael Cherry, Mark Gibbons, and Nancy Saitta, will hear two cases in high school auditoriums in each community. Justice Cherry, who is the presiding justice of the panel, said the Supreme Court’s decision to hold court away the Court’s Carson City and Las Vegas courtrooms “provides unique access to the Court process and to the justices.” “Many Nevadans have never had a chance to observe Supreme Court oral arguments,” Justice Cherry said. “We believe that holding court sessions across Nevada offers an interesting educational opportunity for our students and citizens, and promotes a better understanding of the role of the Judicial Branch of our government.” “Holding oral arguments at the high schools in Elko and Winnemucca not only will let the students see the Court in action, but will allow the students to interact with the justices and ask questions about the Court process,” Justice Cherry said. “Many people view the judicial process as complex and mysterious,” he continued. “Bringing the Supreme Court to Elko and Winnemucca hopefully will help demystify the process.” Synopses of cases are available on the Supreme Court website at www.nevadajudiciary.us. ELKO ARGUMENTS Arguments are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. at Elko High School auditorium. After the arguments, the justices will spend some time answering questions from the high school students in attendance. Several hundred students are expected to attend Friday’s court session, which is a public hearing open to all interested residents This will be the Supreme Court’s third visit to Elko. The Nevada Supreme Court first held oral arguments in Elko on May 5, 1988 as part of the observance of the bicentennial of the United States Constitution. That Supreme Court – then composed of five justices – held oral arguments before about 90 citizens and students at the Elko High School auditorium. The Supreme Court also held oral arguments in May 2007 at Spring Creek High School. WINNEMUCCA ARGUMENTS Arguments in Winnemucca’s Albert M. Lowry High School are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. As in Elko, the justices will field questions from the students. The Winnemucca arguments are also open to the public. JUSTICE ACROSS NEVADA Historically, it is not unprecedented for the Supreme Court to hold sessions outside the state capital of Carson City. Most frequently that has occurred in the Supreme Court’s Las Vegas courtroom, where oral arguments are held several times a year. Over the years, the Supreme Court has also presided over oral arguments in Tonopah, and Virginia City. The Supreme Court’s Northern Panel also conducted oral arguments at the National Judicial College in Reno. The Southern Panel of the Supreme Court annually holds oral arguments at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While the Nevada Supreme Court is composed of seven members, most cases are decided by three-justice panels to best utilize the time of the justices. The Nevada Supreme Court is one of the busiest appellate courts in the nation in part because Nevada has no intermediate appellate court (One of 11 states without such a court). The full Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the most important cases and all death penalty cases. Contact: Bill Gang Public Information Officer Nevada Supreme Court 702-486-3232 office 702-279-6375 cellular
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| Last Updated on Thursday, 07 May 2009 07:59 |
