Law Day comes early to Midland as Michigan Supreme Court justices hear oral arguments

Law Day - the annual May 1 celebration of the rule of law in the United States - is coming early to Midland this year, with the Wednesday, April 17, visit of the Michigan Supreme Court. The court will hold oral argument at the Midland Center for the Arts this week. While the court normally hears oral argument at the Michigan Hall of Justice in Lansing, the court holds oral arguments in different communities around the state as part of its "Court Community Connections" program. The program is aimed principally at educating high school students about the court and Michigan's justice system. In the audience for the oral argument will be students from Bullock Creek, Calvary Baptist, Coleman, H.H. Dow, Freeland, Juvenile Care Center, Meridian, Midland Christian, Midland, and Windover high schools, as well as local home-schooled students. Members of the Northwood University Mock Trial team and the Saginaw Valley State University Law Club will also attend. Midland County Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Beale and attorneys from the Midland County Bar Association are mentoring students as they study the case the court will hear. After the oral argument, the students will meet with the attorneys in the case, Matthew A. Fillmore of the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office and John D. Roach Jr. of Troy, for a debriefing. Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr. said that the court started "Court Community Connections" in 2007 "to show a side of the legal process that's not very well known or understood. Most films or television dramas about the law focus on trials because that is where the drama is. The irony is the appellate process can have a far greater impact on a larger number of people, yet it receives very little attention. Through this program, students not only learn about the appellate process; they get to see it in action." Midland County Probate Court Judge Dorene S. Allen praised the Midland County Bar Association and the Midland Center for the Arts for their support. "This event would not be possible without their cooperation," said the judge, whose responsibilities include presiding over Midland's juvenile court. She added, "This event is a great opportunity for our young people to see the rule of law at work. I can think of no better way to celebrate Law Day." The Midland Center for the Arts is located at 1801 W. Andrews Road. The oral argument starts at 12:30 p.m.; security screening will begin at 11:30 a.m. Some open seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The case is People v Chandra Valencia Smith-Anthony. Briefs are available on the Supreme Court's website at http://courts.mi.gov/Courts/MichiganSupremeCourt/Clerks/Oral-Arguments/2012-2013/Pages/145371.aspx. Published: Tue, Apr 16, 2013

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