Public Notice Detail
Minnesota Supreme Court Convenes at Mankato East High School
Posted: Wednesday, October 10, 2001
High School students from Mankato East, Mankato West, Loyola High School and Riverbend Academy, as well as students from Minnesota State University – Mankato packed the East High School Auditorium for the program, while additional students watched the proceedings live via closed-circuit television from their classrooms in area schools. The program will be taped and televised on public cable television in the near future. (Check local listings for further information.)
The state’s highest court heard oral arguments of an actual case, State of Minnesota vs. Rolan Wiegand, Lorna Quesette Matthews and Almond Baxter Longley. Following the hearing, the Justices answered students’ questions on a wide variety of topics. Students watching via television participated in the question and answer session by phoning in their questions to the East High School auditorium. Justices also ate lunch with students and visited classrooms at East, West and Loyola, in addition to Minnesota State University, East Junior High School and Dakota Meadows Junior High School.
Volunteer attorneys from the Mankato City Attorney’s Office and several private law firms visited participating schools last week to review the case with students and prepare them for today’s oral arguments.
“The issues we face as Minnesotans affect young people as much as adults,” said Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen A. Blatz. “This visit has been a wonderful opportunity for us to introduce the court to students and exchange ideas for the future with the next generation of leaders.”
“The exposure to the Minnesota Supreme court is a tremendous opportunity for our students,” said Ed Waltman, Superintendent of Mankato Area Public Schools. “The court system is an extremely important part of our democracy and our students need to be informed about the work that the Supreme Court does to insure the freedoms that we enjoy.”
Since the Supreme Court convened oral arguments in Rochester, MN in 1995, the school visits have taken center stage in the Court’s efforts to demystify court proceedings. The Mankato visit marks the 14th in-school oral argument for the Court.