News Item
Minnesota Supreme Court to hear oral arguments at Lakeville North High School on April 7
Posted: Thursday, March 17, 2016
Justices will hear arguments in actual case to educate students about the Judicial Branch
The Minnesota Supreme Court has announced that it will hear oral arguments at Lakeville North High School (LNHS) in Lakeville, MN, on Thursday, April 7, 2016. The program will begin at 8:45 a.m. and oral arguments will commence at 9:00 a.m. Nearly 600 students from Lakeville North will fill the school auditorium to watch oral arguments and interact with members of the Court.
The visit is part of a biannual program that seeks to teach students about the work of the state’s highest court, while building the public’s trust and confidence in the Judicial Branch.
The Court will hear oral arguments of a real case –
State of Minnesota, Respondent, vs. David Lee Haywood, Appellant (Case No. A14-1792). Following oral arguments, the justices will answer students’ questions, eat lunch with student leaders, and visit classrooms at the high school.
The media is invited to attend the oral arguments and the question-and-answer session with students. In addition, members of the Supreme Court will hold a media availability immediately following the end of the program in the Media Center.
Media interested in covering the event should refer to the
resource sheet, which provides timing details for the event, a summary of court rules governing the use of recording equipment during court proceedings, and other guidelines and related information.
The Lakeville Independent School District 194 will broadcast live via the Internet the oral arguments and the question & answer session for viewing by area classrooms and the community at
https://isd194letv.viebit.com/. It also will be broadcast on cable channel 188 for Lakeville viewers.
Since the Supreme Court convened oral arguments in Rochester, MN, in 1995, the school visits have been an important part of the Court’s efforts to improve public understanding of the judiciary’s work. The Lakeville North High School visit marks the 43
rd in-school oral argument for the Court.
“The Minnesota Supreme Court is very pleased to visit Lakeville North High School,” said Associate Justice Christopher Dietzen, the Court’s liaison to the Traveling Oral Argument Program. “The Court is grateful for the school’s enthusiasm for the program and the work being done to prepare for the Court’s visit. These events provide a wonderful learning opportunity for the students involved and the Court.”
About the Minnesota Judiciary
The Minnesota Judicial Branch is made up of 10 judicial districts with 289 district court judgeships, 19 Court of Appeals judges, and seven Supreme Court justices. The Judicial Branch is governed by the Judicial Council, which is chaired by Lorie S. Gildea, Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. The Minnesota Judicial Branch is mandated by the Minnesota Constitution to resolve disputes promptly and without delay. In 2015, there were nearly 1.3 million cases filed in district courts in Minnesota. For more information please visit
www.mncourts.gov.
About Lakeville Area Public Schools:
Lakeville Area Public Schools (Independent School District No. 194) is an award-winning school system located in the southern part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The district serves about 10,800 students in Dakota and Scott counties, covering an 86 square mile area that includes most of Lakeville, parts of the cities of Burnsville and Elko New Market, and portions of Eureka, Credit River and New Market townships. Lakeville North High School is one of two high schools, with a total enrollment of 1,800 students. For more information, visit
www.ISD194.org.