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Students see justice in action
By Stephanie Norman
The Paris News
Published September 19, 2009
The Sixth Texas Court of Appeals, located in Texarkana, held court Wednesday, at Paris Junior College, giving college students an opportunity to see the wheels of justice in motion.
Cases submitted for oral argument included three from Lamar County and one from Hopkins County.
Justice Bailey C. Moseley, Justice Jack Carter and Chief Justice Josh R. Morriss, III, the three current sitting judges, took time out to speak with students following an afternoon session.
The reason for an Appeals Court is to hear civil and criminal cases appealed from district or county courts.
“Our job is to apply the law to the facts,” Justice Morriss said. “We’re charged with doing what the law says is right and making sure the decisions made are made on the right basis.”
Cases heard at PJC included an appeal on behalf of Cody Joe Posey vs. the State of Texas with Jeff Shell arguing for the state and Paris attorney James R. Rodgers representing Posey. A second hearing involved the State of Texas vs. Leslie Gene Goodman with Paris attorney Gary L. Waite presenting the argument for Goodman and Shell again representing the state.
Attorney James Rodgers again appeared in the afternoon session arguing an appeal in a child custody case. On the last case of the day one of the attorneys was a no show.
Justice Carter asked the one attorney, “Are you going to argue with yourself? We did away with this procedure a long time ago.” The attorney’s response was a “yes.” The attorney argued his side for the justices and court was then adjourned.
Following hearings, justices take cases under advisement and render decisions at a later date.
According to the justices, they chose to come back to PJC another year because of the “good professor,” Ruth Ann Alsobrook.
The Texas Legislature first established the court in 1907 under the name, The Sixth Court of Civil Appeals. Samuel Priest Wilson, Richard B. Levy and William Hodges were the first three justices. Among the first cases heard by the Sixth Court of Appeals was L.Y. Jesse vs. H.S. Deshong from Lamar County. Throughout the Court’s first 23 years, 3,884 cases were disposed of; 4,966 motions were ruled on; and on average, the court heard about 170 cases a year.
Offices were located in Texarkana in what used to be the city hall building. The court then moved moved to the municipal building when offices were available. By 1985, a Bi-State Justice Building was built where the Court resides in downtown Texarkana.
In Texas, there are 14 Courts of Appeals and 80 serving justices. Each district, depending on size and case load, must have between three and 13 justices at a time.
The Sixth Court of Appeals serves 19 counties, including Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Titus, Upshur and Wood.
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