Kansas Court of Appeals to hear oral arguments at KU next week as part of Constitution Day observance; public welcome

photo by: Courtesy: Dole Institute

The Dole Institute of Politics on the West Campus of the University of Kansas.

A three-judge panel from the Kansas Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments Sept. 16 at the University of Kansas as part of the court’s observance of Constitution Day.

Oral arguments are open to the public and KU students. The court will convene at 10 a.m. in the Dole Institute of Politics, where it will hear the first two cases. The court will then convene at 1:15 p.m. at the KU Law School at Green Hall where it will hear the third case.

Chief Judge Sarah Warner will preside over arguments. She will be joined by Judges Thomas Malone and Amy Cline.

photo by: Kansas Court of Appeals

Judge Sarah Warner

photo by: Kansas Court of Appeals

Judge Thomas Malone

photo by: Kansas Court of Appeals

Judge Amy Cline

“For these special Constitution Day dockets. the court primarily selects cases that involve constitutional questions people have asked us to resolve,” Warner said. “Through these cases, students and the public can witness how constitutional rights impact everyone’s daily lives and understand how judges approach and decide constitutional disputes.”

In oral arguments, the court will typically give the attorneys on each side of a case 15 minutes to discuss the case with the court. Attorneys present their arguments, and the judges ask questions. The panel will then take each case under consideration and issue a written decision in the following months.

There are 14 judges on the Court of Appeals who typically sit in panels of three to hear arguments and decide cases.