2015
"Justice on Wheels" brings Supreme Court to Grant County
Madison, Wisconsin - August 31, 2015
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear three cases at the Grant County Courthouse in Lancaster on Sept. 17 as part of the Court’s Justice on Wheels outreach program.
Grant is the 26th location outside Madison where oral arguments have been held since Justice on Wheels began in 1993. Justice on Wheels is designed to give people outside the Madison area an opportunity to see the Supreme Court at work.
During oral argument, lawyers on each side of a case present the legal reasons they feel the Court should decide in their favor. Presentations are carefully timed, and justices have an opportunity to respond or ask questions directly of the lawyers. The work of the Supreme Court differs from that of a trial court because the Supreme Court focuses more on unsettled legal questions, rather than on the facts specific to a case.
Seats to watch the Court’s hearings are free and open to the public, but space is limited. Reservations are recommended and may be made by calling the Court at (608) 266-1298 or e-mailing program assistant Sara Foster at sara.foster@wicourts.gov.
Argument in each case is expected to last about an hour, starting at approximately 9:20 a.m., 10:50 a.m., and 1:50 p.m. A description of each case will be available in advance on the court system’s website at www.wicourts.gov/supreme/sc_oralargs.jsp. Prior to hearing the cases, the Court will open its visit with a welcome ceremony attended by local judges and other elected officials and community leaders.
Since 1993, the justices have conducted proceedings in the following counties: Brown, Eau Claire, Marathon, Milwaukee, La Crosse, Douglas, Rock, Kenosha, Sauk, Dodge, Oneida, Outagamie, Portage, Racine, Fond du Lac, Walworth, Waushara, St. Croix, Winnebago, Iowa, Washington, Columbia, Green, Sheboygan, and Waukesha.
Educational materials for teachers and others interested in learning about the Supreme Court and the judicial branch of government can be found on the Wisconsin court system website at www.wicourts.gov/courts/resources/index.htm
Contact:Tom Sheehan
Court Information Officer
(608) 261-6640