DES MOINES — On Friday, October 14, members of the Iowa Supreme Court will visit six high schools in north central Iowa to talk with students about the role of the courts. The justices will visit with students at Mason City High School and Newman Catholic High School in Mason City; Clear Lake High School; Garner-Hayfield High School in Garner; Charles City High School; and Osage High School.
“The morning after the court’s session in Mason City, the justices will fan out to meet with high school Government and American History classes,” Chief Justice Mark Cady said. “We plan to talk about our responsibilities on the supreme court, the Iowa court system, and to answer questions students may have about the judicial branch of government. We enjoy visiting with young people whenever we can. By these visits, we hope to foster understanding about the role of the courts within our constitutional democracy.”
In addition to the school visits, the court will hold a special session in Mason City on the evening of October 13. The court will hear oral arguments in two cases at the Reunion Hall at Music Man Square. This session begins at 7 p.m. As always, oral arguments are open to the public. A public reception with the justices, sponsored by the District 2A Bar Association, will follow the oral arguments.
“The session was scheduled for the evening so it is convenient for anyone interested who wants to come see the court in action,” Chief Justice Cady said. “We’ve also asked teachers to encourage their students to attend the session. Local attorneys told us that there is quite a bit of interest in the cases and they look forward to a large audience.”
High school visit schedule October 14, 2011:
8:00 a.m.—Chief Justice Mark Cady will visit Mason City High School
8:00 a.m.—Justice David Wiggins will visit Clear Lake High School
8:00 a.m.—Justice Thomas Waterman will visit Charles City High School
9:00 a.m.—Justice Brent Appel will visit Garner-Hayfield High School
9:00 a.m.—Justice Edward Mansfield will visit Newman Catholic High School, Mason City
10:00 a.m.—Justice Bruce Zager will visit Osage High School
Special session:
October 13 at 7 p.m.
Reunion Hall at Music Man Square
308 South Pennsylvania Avenue
Mason City, Iowa
The court will hear attorneys argue in two cases:
10-1932 Mitchell County v. Matthew Hoover Zimmerman
Defendant Zimmerman, a member of a Mennonite order that requires the use of steel wheels on members’ tractors, was convicted of violating a county ordinance prohibiting the operation of steel-wheeled vehicles on hard surface roads. The main legal issue before the court is whether the county ordinance violates Zimmerman’s state and federal constitutional rights to free exercise of religion.
The attorney representing defendant Zimmerman is Colin C. Murphy, of Mason City, and the attorney representing Mitchell County is Mark L. Walk, Mitchell County Attorney.
10-1543 State of Iowa, v. Daniel Dean Rainsong
Defendant Daniel Rainsong is charged with two counts of first degree theft and one count of dependent adult abuse. One of the victims in this case lives in Oregon and is allegedly unable to travel to Iowa to testify. The main issue before the court is whether submission of the victim’s deposition in lieu of his live testimony at trial satisfies the defendant’s constitutional right to confront witnesses.
The attorney representing the state is Martha E. Trout of the Office of the Attorney General, Des Moines, and the attorney representing defendant is Vidhya K. Reddy, Assistant Appellate Defender, Des Moines.
Public Reception
There will be a public reception sponsored by the District 2A Bar Association immediately following the court proceeding.
Live Broadcast
The October 13 oral arguments will be broadcast live by Mason City radio station AM-1300 KGLO and available live online at www.discovernorthiowa.com beginning at 6:30 p.m.
For More Information
Attorneys’ briefs for the two cases and a “Guide to Oral Arguments” are posted on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at:
http://www.iowacourts.gov/Supreme_Court/Offsite_Oral_Arguments/
Note to Editors: News media are invited to attend the oral arguments. Court rules regarding expanded media coverage apply.
