Officials with the Iowa Judicial Branch report that on Wednesday, October 10th, justices of the Iowa Supreme Court will meet with students from five Red Oak area schools to discuss the Iowa judicial system and the role of the courts in Iowa. Their schedule is as follows:

8:00 am: Chief Justice Mark Cady will visit Red Oak High School
9:30 am: Justice Edward Mansfield will visit Clark Community High School, Osceola
9:37 am: Justice Thomas Waterman will visit Creston High School
9:47 am: Justice David Wiggins will visit Atlantic High School
1:00 pm: Justice Susan Christensen will visit Harlan High School

In addition to the school visits, the supreme court will hold a special session in Red Oak on October 9, at 7:00 p.m. in the Wilson Performing Arts Center, 300 Commerce Drive. 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 auditorium lobby will follow the oral arguments.

The Iowa Supreme Court will hear attorneys argue in one case:

State of Iowa v. Lee Samuel Christensen, case no. 17-0085, from Emmet County District Court, on further review from the Iowa Court of Appeals.

The Iowa Supreme Court hears this case on further review of an Iowa Court of Appeals decision reversing a district court second-degree murder conviction of defendant. The defendant appealed his conviction for second-degree murder, arguing the district court erred in overruling his motion for a new trial based on juror misconduct, jury bias, and prosecutorial misconduct. The Iowa Court of Appeals reversed the district court on the grounds of juror misconduct and remanded for a new trial.  Upon the State’s application, the Iowa Supreme Court granted further review of the court of appeals decision.

A public reception with the supreme court justices will follow the oral arguments in the auditorium lobby. The Montgomery County Bar Association is sponsoring the reception.

Attorneys’ briefs for the case and the decision of the court of appeals are posted on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at: http://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/supreme-court/supreme-court-oral-argument-schedule/case/17-0085 .