Appeals on Wheels

*Please review the note for media

Indiana’s second highest court will conduct oral argument at Huntington University at 1 p.m. on Monday, March 23, in the Zurcher Auditorium of the Merillat Centre for the Arts. This event is free and open to the public.

The event marks the court’s first visit to Huntington and was prompted by an invitation from Dr. John Noble, director of the university’s Center for Non-Western Studies and assistant professor of Bible & religion.

A panel of judges — John Baker, Melissa May and Paul Mathias — will hear Hunt v. State, a criminal case on appeal from Elkhart Circuit Court. Appellant Jeffery Hunt argues that his 120-year sentence for four felony convictions, including Class A felony robbery while armed with a deadly weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, is inappropriate.

The judges will answer student questions after the argument, but not about this case.

The Court of Appeals hears oral arguments across Indiana to enable Hoosiers to observe the court in action and learn more about its indispensable role in Indiana government. The court has conducted more than 400 “Appeals on Wheels” events since its 2000-2001 centennial. This argument marks the court’s seventh Appeals on Wheels event this year.

Please note the instructions below for courtroom etiquette and decorum for the public:

Courtroom Etiquette & Procedure

No cell phones, no cameras, no talking, eating or drinking. Also, the bailiff will call the court to order by banging the gavel and telling everyone in the room to rise or stand.

Question-and-Answer Session

After the oral argument, the judges will conduct an informal question-and-answer session about the law, justice and the judiciary in general – but not about the case they have just heard.

*Media

Reporters, including student journalists, may ask the court’s permission to record the argument in audio, video or photographic formats. Email requests to Court Administrator Steve Lancaster (CourtofAppeals@courts.in.gov) at least 48 hours before the scheduled start of the argument. Per Indiana Supreme Court order, all video cameras must be tripod-mounted, and both video and still cameras cannot employ flash or strobe lighting.

For more information about the court, visit www.courts.in.gov/appeals.

The Centre for Non-Western Studies at Huntington University was formed in 2009 to support inter-disciplinary research and teaching linked by a shared common interest in Non-Western politics, culture and society. Based in HU’s Department of Bible & Religion, the Centre brings together a number of renowned academics at Huntington University working in the fields of Bible and religion, business, English, history and political science, ministry and missions, TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), social work and sociology. The centre has been specifically designed to empower students to address diverse cultural issues and challenge them to become intelligent inter-cultural consumers for their generation.

Learn more about HU’s pre-law program and criminal justice program.