Alaska’s Supreme Court will hear a case at a Fairbanks High School next month. The December 5th hearing for a local case will be held at Lathrop High School as part of a program called “Supreme Court Live”. Justice Daniel Winafree says the program offers students the opportunity to see the justice system in action.
Winafree says the case to be heard at Lathrop, involves a false arrest claim and an alleged civil rights violation. Local attorneys will teach students about the case and the legal process prior to the court date. Winafree says after listening to oral arguments December 5th, students will also get to talk with attorneys and justices.
It’s the first time “Supreme Court Live” has come to Fairbanks. Winafree says the High Court hopes to offer the program in Fairbanks every other year but it depends on having a case appropriate for students and scheduling. The Supreme Court Live program has been held twice in Anchorage and once in Juneau in the three years since it was started by Chief Justice Walter Carpeneti.
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Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.