Western District Missouri Court of Appeals to convene at Vernon
Staff Writer
The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District will convene Court in Nevada, Missouri on Thursday, October 28, 2004, Chief Judge Edwin H. Smith announced today.
A three judge panel, consisting of Harold L. Lowenstein, Paul M. Spinden and James M. Smart will hear oral arguments in four cases at the Vernon County Courthouse beginning at 9:00 a.m., Smith said.
He explained that the cases are appeals from previously-held trials in areas 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.
The three judges will remain after the court session to discuss the court system and generally explain proceedings, Breckenridge said.
This will be the Court’s third session in Nevada. Earlier sessions were held in April, 1997 and January, 2000. The Court convenes regularly in Kansas City. Its jurisdiction is appeals from trial courts in 45 counties in western Missouri. Vernon County is the southernmost county in the Western District.
Lowenstein will preside over the proceedings in Nevada. He is the senior judge on the court in terms of tenure, having been appointed in 1981. Previously he served in the Missouri House of Representatives and practiced law in Kansas City. Spinden was appointed to the Court in 1991. Previously, he served as an assistant attorney general and administrative law judge in Jefferson City. Smart served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Jackson County and later engaged in the private practice of law in Kansas City prior to his appointment to the court of appeals in 1991.
It is important for the Court to convene oral arguments outside of Kansas City, Smith said. This gives individuals an opportunity to observe a part of the judicial system they normally do not see. We hope those attending will gain a better understanding of the function of an appellate court.
During the past thirteen years the Court has held sessions in Chillicothe, Clinton, Columbia, Fulton, Gallatin, Independence, Jefferson City, Kirksville, Lexington, Linneus, Liberty, Macon, Marshall, Maryville, Moberly, Nevada, Richmond, St. Joseph, Savannah, Sedalia, Trenton, Tuscumbia and Warrensburg.
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