CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) – The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia will convene Tuesday, Feb. 18, at the West Virginia University College of Law in Morgantown to hear oral arguments in three cases.
“The Court’s annual visit to the WVU College of Law is a tremendous opportunity for students to witness the appellate process firsthand,” said Chief Justice William R. “Bill” Wooton. “This is not moot court – these are real cases dealing with substantive matters of law currently pending before our Court. In addition to the oral arguments, this visit also provides my fellow justices and I the opportunity to meet and interact with the next generation of West Virginia legal minds, answering any questions they have about the judiciary or legal process in general.”
The Court will convene at 10 a.m. in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom. The event is free and open to the public and media. Doors open at 9 a.m. and attendees are asked to be seated by 9:50 a.m.
“We are so grateful and fortunate that the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals travels to the College of Law every year to hear cases in front of our students,” said WVU College of Law Dean Amelia Rinehart. “Not only is the experience of seeing talented attorneys presenting appellate arguments in a live hearing before the full Court invaluable, but our justices also take considerable time to entertain questions about appellate courts and the West Virginia judiciary and to get to know our students in a meaningful and accessible way.”
The Court will hear three cases on Tuesday’s docket:
- 10:00 a.m., Rule 20 Argument: State of West Virginia v. Scott Michael Andrew Hundley, Case No 22-901
- 10:40 a.m., Rule 20 Argument: Elaine Neidig v. Valley Health System, Case No 24-27
- 11:20 a.m., Rule 19 Argument: State ex rel. State of West Virginia v. Hon. Bridget Cohee, Judge, et al., Case No 24-432
Cases argued under Rule 20 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure involve issues of first impression or of fundamental public importance; constitutional questions regarding the validity of a statute, municipal ordinance, or court ruling; and cases involving inconsistencies or conflicts among the decisions of lower tribunals.
Cases considered under Rule 19 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure involve those claiming error in the application of settled law, an unsustainable exercise of discretion, insufficient evidence, cases involving a narrow issue of the law, and/or cases where a hearing is required by law.
Additional information and briefs associated with the cases can be found on the arguments calendar page of the Supreme Court’s website located here: https://www.courtswv.gov/appellate-courts/supreme-court-of-appeals/current-docket/february.
In addition to being open to the public, the arguments will be live streamed on the Supreme Court’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/wvsupremecourt.
