Des Moines, October 29, 2015— On Thursday, November 5, members of the Iowa Supreme Court will meet with students from six Harlan-area high schools to discuss the Iowa judicial system and the role of the courts. The justices will visit high school students in Harlan, Avoca, Elk Horn, Audubon, and Denison.
High school visit schedule for Thursday, November 5, 2015
9:00 a.m. Justice Mansfield at Harlan High School
9:18 a.m. Justice Waterman at A-H-S-T High School (Avoca-Hancock-Shelby-Tennant)
9:30 a.m. Justice Wiggins at West Central Valley High School
9:40 a.m. Chief Justice Cady at Audubon High School
9:45 a.m. Justice Hecht at Denison High School
9:35 a.m. Justice Zager at Exira-EHK High School (Elk Horn-Kimballton)
In addition to the school visits, the supreme court will hold a special session in Harlan on Wednesday evening, November 4, at 7:00 p.m., in the Harlan High School auditorium, 2102 Durant Street, Harlan. During the special session, the court will hear oral arguments in one case. The oral arguments are open to the public. A public reception with the justices in the Harlan High School cafeteria will follow the oral arguments.
Special session
Wednesday, November 4, 2015, at 7:00 p.m.
Harlan High School Center for Performance
2102 Durant Street.
Harlan, Iowa
The Iowa Supreme Court will hear lawyers argue in one case
State of Iowa v. Taquala Monique Howse, case no. 13-1997, from Black Hawk County District Court
The State seeks further review after the Iowa Court of Appeals reversed the conviction of Taquala Howse for carrying a weapon. An issue before the Iowa Supreme Court is whether a stun gun is a dangerous weapon per se under Iowa Code section 702.7, which the Iowa Legislature amended in 2008 to expand the definition of dangerous weapon to include "any portable device or weapon directing an electric current, impulse, wave, or beam that produces a high-voltage pulse designed to immobilize a person."
Public reception
There will be a public reception in the Harlan High School cafeteria following the oral arguments.
Attorneys' briefs for the case and a guide to oral arguments are posted on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at
http://www.iowacourts.gov/About_the_Courts/Supreme_Court/Offsite_Oral_Arguments_Harlan
Note to news media
News media are invited to attend the oral arguments. Court rules apply regarding still camera, video camera, and audio recording devices used during the oral arguments. Information on expanded media coverage is available on the Iowa Judicial Branch Website.[email protected]
Chapter 25 of the Iowa Court Rules regarding cameras and other electronic devices in courtrooms is available on the Iowa Legislature website (PDF).
For More Information:
Steve Davis, Court Communications Director, (515)725-8058 or [email protected].
Iowa Supreme Court
1111 East Court Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3952