GREENVILLE, S.C.—The public will have a unique opportunity to see its legal system in action when the South Carolina Court of Appeals holds court on the Furman University campus Wednesday, Feb. 16.
Four Court of Appeals judges—The Honorable John Cannon Few (Greenville), The Honorable Aphrodite Konduros (Greenville), The Honorable James E. Lockemy (Dillon) and The Honorable Paul E. Short, Jr. (Chester)—will hear three different cases in the Watkins Room of the University Center.
The session is open to the public, and each case will be introduced by Furman president Rod Smolla, a legal scholar and First Amendment expert.
The first case begins at 9:15 a.m., the second at 10:30 a.m. and the third at 11:30 a.m. The entire session will be completed by 12:30 p.m.
Observers are invited to witness any or all of the cases, but must remain seated in the room throughout each case. There will be a break between cases.
The three cases to be heard on appeal are (1) State v. Rivera, where Raymondeze Rivera was sentenced to life for the murder of Asha Wiley in Anderson Country; (2) Burke v. Anmed Health, where the plaintiff was awarded $250,000 in monetary damages following a medical procedure; and (3) Morris Communication v. City of Greenville, which examines the city’s right to remove or relocate nonconforming billboards without paying the sign owner.
The South Carolina Court of Appeals was created to hear most types of appeals from the circuit court and the family court. Exceptions are when the appeal falls within any of the seven classes of exclusive jurisdiction listed under the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeals is the judicial system's newest court, having commenced operation on Sept. 1, 1983. It consists of a Chief Judge and eight associate judges who are elected by the General Assembly to staggered terms of six years each. The Court sits either as three panels of three judges each or as a whole, and it may hear oral arguments and motions in any county of the state.
For a detailed schedule and explanation of each case, visit Furman’s website at http://www.furman.edu/if/court.doc.
For more information, contact Furman’s News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.