Wallace State to host Court Civil Appeals; appearance rescheduled from March 5

HANCEVILLE, Ala. — The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals will hear oral arguments at Wallace State Community College on April 15, rescheduling their appearance originally planned for March 5, but delayed due to winter weather. The Court of Criminal Appeals had a conflict and could not reschedule.
The Court of Civil Appeals will will hear two cases, providing opportunities for students and the public to view the judicial process first hand. The Court of Civil Arguments will begin at 9:30 a.m., with an hour allotted for each case, and a 30-minute break between each. The arguments will be heard in the Betty Leeth Haynes Theatre, which is located in the Student Center on the Hanceville campus.
Seniors from area high schools will be invited to view the proceedings, as well as Wallace State students and the general public.
The two cases planned for oral arguments on April 15 include State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance v. James Ross Pritchard, Jr., and Diamond Concrete & Slabs, LLC v. Andalusia-Opp Airport Authority (n/k/a The South Alabama Regional Airport Authority) and Southern Structures Corporation.
“This is something we do every year at Samford University, and I thought it would be a great educational opportunity for the students here in Cullman County and surrounding areas,” Judge Terri Willingham Thomas said, when the event was first announced. Thomas sits on the Court of Civil Appeals. She is a Cullman native and formerly served as a district and juvenile court judge for Cullman County. She earned undergraduate degrees at Wallace State Community College and Athens State University; she earned a juris doctorate at Cumberland School of Law.
“I’m so pleased to have the appellate courts hold oral arguments on our campus,” said June Brooks, head of Wallace State’s paralegal program. “I think our students and the area’s high school students can only benefit from seeing the judicial process in action.”
The Court of Civil Appeals has original appellate jurisdiction in all civil appeals where the amount of controversy does not exceed $50,000. The Supreme Court may transfer to the Court of Civil Appeals civil cases appealed to the Supreme Court and within its appellate jurisdiction, with some exceptions. The Court of Civil Appeals has jurisdiction of all appeals from administrative agencies, other than the Alabama Public Service Commission, in which a judgment was entered in the circuit court. The court also exercises jurisdiction over appeals in workers’ compensation cases and domestic relations cases, including annulment, divorce, alimony, child support, adoption, and child custody cases.
For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu or call 256.352.8000.