PARSONS, W.Va. – About 175 juniors and seniors at Tucker County High School will have an opportunity to be present when the Supreme Court listens to arguments in real cases beginning at 9:30 a.m. on April 4 at the Tucker County Courthouse in Parsons. The public also is invited to attend if space permits; priority seating will be given to students.
Chief Justice Allen H. Loughry II also plans to meet with all 300 students at Tucker County High School on Monday, April 3, the day before the arguments, to discuss the state’s judicial system and to answer questions from students.
The Supreme Court’s visit to Parsons is part of the LAWS (Legal Advancement for West Virginia Students) program. Chief Justice Loughry chose his native Tucker County for the Court’s LAWS visit this year.
“I am honored to be able to bring the Supreme Court to the Tucker County Courthouse. It’s a beautiful part of our state, and I’m proud to be from this area,” Chief Justice Loughry said. “I am especially excited that students from my alma mater will be able to see the Supreme Court in-person and to learn about our judiciary. It might even cause some of them to gain an interest in public service or to pursue a career in law.
“For many, the judicial branch is the least understood branch of government, and LAWS is a way for us to show our citizens how it works,” Chief Justice Loughry said. “Our magistrate, family, circuit, and supreme courts directly impact the lives of so many of our citizens as we handle contract disputes, divorces, child custody matters, abuse and neglect cases, criminal charges, workers’ compensation cases, and countless other disagreements that lead to lawsuits. LAWS allows the Supreme Court to invite citizens to a courthouse to see the judicial process at work when they themselves are not involved in an acrimonious legal case. I also want the students to know that the judicial branch is important to their lives in ways they may not even consider.”
The Supreme Court held the first LAWS program in Beckley in 1999. While other LAWS programs have been held in other parts of the State, this is the first time it has been held in Tucker County.
LAWS is a partnership between the court system, schools, the Bar, and the community that teaches students about the Judicial Branch of government. Since the program began in 1999, about 5,700 high school and college students in 33 counties have participated, including this year.
Several Tucker County High School teachers began their involvement with this year’s LAWS program by attending a training session with Supreme Court personnel. At that session, teachers received information about the state and federal court systems, suggested exercises for students, and summaries of the real Supreme Court cases their classes will hear. Volunteer attorneys from the area also met with students to discuss the court system and the cases.
On the day of LAWS, students will hear arguments in the cases they have studied then meet with the attorneys who argued each case in a “debriefing” session in the courtroom.
“I am particularly grateful for the hard work of our local judges, teachers, volunteer attorneys, and others who have dedicated their time to make this something special for our juniors and seniors–our leaders of tomorrow,” Chief Justice Loughry said. “I am hopeful this will be a fun and useful experience for all of the students and that the community will also attend the arguments and enjoy the day.”
Summaries of the cases are available online at: http://www.courtswv.gov/
Documents in each case also are available on line at http://www.courtswv.gov/
The schedule will be as follows:
Rule 19 argument
State of West Virginia v. Quinton Peterson, No. 15-1220. Petitioner appeals from the circuit court’s November 15, 2015, resentencing order imposing a sentence of life in prison without mercy. Petitioner was convicted of first degree murder following a jury trial in 2008.
Rule 20 argument
West Virginia Regional Jail Authority v. Shane Marcum, No. 15-1174. Petitioner appeals the November 4, 2015, order of the Circuit Court of Kanawha County that ordered the disclosure of a videotape that depicted a “cell extraction” of respondent from the Western Regional Jail pursuant to the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Petitioner asserts that the video is exempt from disclosure.
Rule 19 argument
State of West Virginia v. Rocco Zuccaro, No. 15-0976. Petitioner appeals his conviction for first degree murder, for which he was sentenced to life in prison without parole eligibility.
For more information about LAWS or the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia’s other civic education programs, contact Public Education Coordinator Kandi Greter-Kirk, Kandi.greter@
