Interested Callaway County residents and college students have been invited to attend a Thursday morning court session of the Missouri Court of Appeals at Westminster College in Fulton.
It marks the fifth consecutive year that the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, will convene court at Westminster College, Chief Judge James Welsh said.
The session will be in the Hermann Lounge at the Hunter Activities Center on the Westminster College campus. A three-judge panel consisting of Welsh, Judge Mark D. Pfeiffer and 13th District Associate Circuit Judge Christine Carpenter will hear oral arguments in three cases starting at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 8 and lasting until about noon.
Welsh said the cases are appeals from previous trials in area circuit courts. The judges will hear attorneys argue whether the trials had errors, which should cause them to be retried, or the trial court's judgment reversed, he said.
The judges will read written arguments before the court session, he added, and may interrupt the attorneys' arguments with questions during proceedings.
The three judges will recess sometime in between arguments to step down and discuss the court system with the audience and generally explain court proceedings, Welsh said.
Although the appeals court convenes regularly in Kansas City, it regularly sits twice a year in Fulton. In the spring, it convenes at William Woods University and in the fall at Westminster College.
During the past 21 years, the court has also held sessions in Chillicothe, Clinton, Columbia, Gallatin, Huntsville, Independence, Jefferson City, Keytesville, Kirksville, Lexington, Liberty, Linneus, Macon, Marshall, Maryville, Milan, Nevada, Platte City, Richmond, St. Joseph, Savannah, Trenton, Tuscumbia and Warrensburg.