State justices appear before Detroit students

More than 500 students from Cass Technical High School and other Detroit high schools and middle schools were scheduled to hear a Michigan Supreme Court oral argument today as part of the “Court Community Connections” program. 

A debriefing session with attorneys will follow oral argument.

The justices were scheduled to hear oral argument regarding People v Elisah Kyle Thomas at Cass Tech High School in Detroit.  At issue: For identification purposes, are the police permitted to show a  crime victim a single photo of a suspect (such as one taken by a smart phone), or does such a  procedure create a substantial likelihood of misidentification? If the procedure is too suggestive, should the victim nevertheless be permitted to identify the defendant during court proceedings when there is an independent basis for the identification?

While the high court normally hears oral argument at the Michigan Hall of Justice in Lansing, justices and staff travel to various communities as part of “Court Community Connections” which the Supreme Court started as a public education program aimed principally at high school students. 

Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Stephen J. Markman said it was hoped the program would “introduce students to the role of appellate courts in the legal process, while inspiring them to better understand the contributions of lawyers and judge in furthering our country’s rule of law.”