Archived News | Return to News Center

October 19, 2007

Second Circuit Court of Appeal convenes at ULM Oct. 24

Judges of the Second Circuit Court of Appeal will hear oral arguments in Brown Hall Auditorium on the campus of University of Louisiana at Monroe Wednesday, Oct. 24.

The Court will hear a total of six cases, three in the morning session at 9:30 a.m. and three in the afternoon session at 1:30 p.m. Both sessions are open to the public. Area college and high school students have been invited to attend.

Second Circuit Judge D. Milton Moore, III, of Monroe and Richard Hood, Executive Assistant to the President, and several other ULM staff members have organized this event at ULM.

“We want to provide area citizens and students an opportunity to witness firsthand the variety and complexity of the court’s caseload,” said Judge Moore. In addition to seeing the appellate process in action, students and other observers will have a rare opportunity to interact with counsel and members of the court by asking questions after each argument.

“Appellate argument is not the familiar ‘trial’ experience,” explained Judge Moore. The appellate court does not receive evidence or hear witnesses testify. “Every matter that comes before the second circuit has already gone through a trial proceeding, resulting in a civil judgment or a criminal conviction,” he added. “Oral argument distills the legal issues that arise from the facts adduced at trial.”

The court’s stop at ULM is part of its “Riding the Circuit” initiative, an effort by the judges of the court to educate and inform students and the general public about the work of the Second Circuit Court of Appeal. One of five appellate courts in the state, the Second Circuit is located in Shreveport and comprises nine judges who are elected from three election districts in the state’s 20 northernmost parishes.

PLEASE NOTE: Some links and e-mail addresses in these archived news stories may no longer work, and some content may include events which are no longer relevent, or reference individuals and/or organizations no longer associated with ULM.