The Iowa Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments Thursday, April 4, beginning at 1:20 p.m. in the Washington Area Performing Arts Center in Washington High School, 1111 South B Avenue, Washington, Iowa. The court will hear two cases. Following the oral arguments, the court of appeals judges will take questions from the audience. The hearings are open to the public, and the court encourages people to attend.
The court will hear attorneys argue in the cases State v. Brown, from Black Hawk County, and Whitlow v. McConnaha, from Muscatine County. Iowa Court of Appeals Judge Michael Mullins, who is from Washington, looks forward to the visit.
"I am excited to be able to help bring the Iowa Court of Appeals to Washington to hear oral arguments,” Judge Mullins said. “It will be the first time the Washington community has had the opportunity to see and experience how an Iowa appellate court works. We appreciate Washington High School’s willingness to host this event. "
Iowa Court of Appeals Judges Michael Mullins, Gayle Nelson Vogel (Chief Judge), Anuradha Vaitheswaran, and Richard Doyle will hear arguments in the first case, State v. Brown, at 1:20 pm. Attorney briefs for the case State v. Brown are on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/court-of-appeals/court-of-appeals-court-opinions/case/18-0747.
Iowa Court of Appeals Judges Michael Mullins, Amanda Potterfield, and Mary Tabor will hear arguments in the second case, Whitlow v. McConnaha, at 2:25 pm. Attorney briefs for the case Whitlow v. McConnaha are on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/court-of-appeals/court-of-appeals-court-opinions/case/18-0566 .
The Iowa Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court. It reviews appeals from trial court decisions that have been transferred to the court of appeals by the supreme court. A decision of the Iowa Court of Appeals is final unless reviewed by the Iowa Supreme Court on grant of further review. Some opinions of the Iowa Court of Appeals are published and become precedent for subsequent cases. The majority of appeals filed in Iowa are decided by the Court of Appeals.
As an appellate court, the Iowa Court of Appeals does not preside over trials. The court of appeals proceedings do not involve witnesses, juries, new evidence, or court reporters. Instead, the court reviews the written record of the trial court to determine whether any significant legal errors occurred.
Note to news media
News media are invited to attend the oral arguments. Court rules apply regarding still camera, video camera, audio recording devices, and other electronic devices used during the oral arguments. Information on expanded media coverage is available on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at
https://www.iowacourts.gov/newsroom/expanded-news-media-coverage/
The Iowa Court Rules regarding cameras and other electronic devices in courtrooms are on the Iowa Legislature website at https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/ACO/CourtRulesChapter/04-30-2104.25.pdf .
For More Information:
Steve Davis
(515) 725-8058
steve.davis@iowacourts.gov