Next Thursday, September 14, in Hastings, Nebraska

In honor of Constitution Day, the Nebraska Court of Appeals will be in session on the campus of Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, on September 14, 2017.

The Court of Appeals will divide into its customary two panels with three judges each to hold arguments at 9:30 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. in Hastings College’s Perkins Auditorium, Fuhr Hall (Music Building) 723 E. 9th Street. Chief Judge Frankie Moore will preside over the morning panel and Judge Everett Inbody will preside in the afternoon.

Court of Appeals Chief Judge Frankie Moore said, “The Nebraska Court of Appeals judges welcome this opportunity to visit Hastings College and celebrate Constitution Day with area students.”

The Court of Appeals will hear four cases each session, followed by questions and answers with students in attendance. Students have been given detailed case descriptions of each case in order to help them follow the legal arguments. Case information can be found on the Judicial Branch Website. 

Hastings College students, along with government and social studies classes from area high schools, will be in attendance.

This college campus initiative, designed by judges of the Court of Appeals, is intended to provide Nebraskans the opportunity to learn about the judicial branch.

The Nebraska Court of Appeals is the state’s second-highest court and reviews appeals from state trial court decisions. A decision of the Court of Appeals is final unless a party is granted further review by the Nebraska Supreme Court. The six judges on the Court of Appeals handle approximately 1,000 appeals per year, of which about 400 result in published or memorandum opinions.

Court sessions are always open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to park at the college’s Lynn Farrell Arena lot (800 E. 12th Street).

For information on audio recording of oral argument sessions at Hastings College, or about the Court of Appeals traveling oral arguments, email Janet Bancroft.

Constitution Day is a day set aside to observe the signing of the United States Constitution, which occurred September 17, 1787. Former Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia is credited with proposing the 2004 legislation that created the annual commemoration, which is mandatory for schools that receive federal funding. Celebration of Constitution Day in Nebraska has been annually sponsored by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation and the Nebraska Judicial Branch through specialized programming and providing Constitution Day resources on the Web for classroom teachers.