Nebraska Supreme Court to Hear Court Arguments at Northwest High School March 5, 2020

Nebraska Supreme Court to Hear Court Arguments at Northwest High School March 5, 2020

Nebraska Supreme Court Justices will hold oral arguments at Northwest High School on March 5, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. as part of the Court’s ongoing outreach and education efforts. The high school court session is held in conjunction with annual Supreme Court arguments at the Creighton University School of Law.

Northwest Principal Thomas Lee noted, “It is a great honor for Northwest High to host the Nebraska Supreme Court session, which is a powerful learning opportunity for our students. As Omaha’s magnet school for law, government and international diplomacy, our students welcome the opportunity to watch the State’s highest Court as they hear an actual case and gain more valuable insight into how our judicial process works.”

This visit and education session is part of a continuing effort by the Nebraska Supreme Court and the legal community to raise awareness of court processes and the importance of civics education to our society.

Douglas County District Court Judge Marlon Polk will attend the session to provide students with an introduction to the court arguments. He will explain the process that a case must go through before reaching the Supreme Court and highlight the differences between trial courts and appellate courts.

“This is the type of real-world experience we strive to give our students here at Northwest. We feel privileged to be a part of this court session and to fuel the passion in our future leaders,” said Jennifer Gorrin, Magnet Facilitator and Enrollment Coordinator.

Thursday’s argument at Northwest High School will follow the Supreme Court’s oral argument session at the Creighton University School of Law at 9:30 a.m. that same morning. For over 40 years, the Supreme Court has traveled annually to each of Nebraska’s law schools for the purpose of making the Court’s business accessible to students on their campuses. Justices spend time after the argument sessions talking to students about the appellate process and their career opportunities as lawyers.

All argument sessions, whether held at the Supreme Court courtroom or outside of the State Capitol, are open to the public. NET Television will live stream both the 9:30 a.m. arguments at Creighton and the 1:30 p.m. arguments at Northwest High School as part of its coverage. Court sessions can be viewed online at NET’s Website:  www.netnebraska.org/publicmedia/capitol.html (Link will appear as Nebraska Supreme Court Arguments -- Creighton or Northwest, Thursday, March 5, 2020)

The case being heard at Northwest High School is:

State v. Montoya, Case Number S-19-0660 out of Lancaster County

Read the details of the case: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/state-v-montoya-0

National Public Trust and Confidence studies have shown that when people have a greater knowledge of the American justice system and the role of the courts, their confidence in and support for the courts is reinforced. In developing educational opportunities for people of all ages, Nebraska’s court system, together with the legal community, support learning about the role, functions, and accomplishments of the courts to cultivate a more engaged, active, and conscientious citizenry.