Appeals court to convene in Evans

The state Court of Appeals will present oral arguments in three cases at the Columbia County Justice Center in Evans on Tuesday.

"Occasionally we are invited to hold oral arguments at different venues around the state," said Georgia Court of Appeals Administrator/Clerk William L. Martin III.

The cases will be heard beginning at 9:30 a.m. and several area judges and members of the Augusta Bar Association are expected to attend.

"I believe this grew out of a meeting between (Court of Appeals Fourth Division) Presiding Judge (John H.) Ruffin, who used to be a superior court judge in the Augusta circuit, and some of the judges in the Augusta circuit. If you recall back in October when they had the dedication of the justice center there and had Justice Anthony Kennedy from the U.S. Supreme Court, the judges of the court of appeals were invited to attend and several of them did. I think it probably grew from that," Martin said.

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Two of the cases to be heard by the three appellate justicesare criminal and the other is civil.

"Oral argument in the court of appeals is not granted as a matter of right. You have to request oral argument in writing and tell the court why oral argument is important in a particular case, and the court will decide to either grant oral argument or deny the request," Martin said.

"I think the fact that these cases are going to orally argued means there is something of significance about them, at least to the court," he said.