February 19, 2019
Indiana Court of Appeals will meet at VU on Feb. 21
VINCENNES, Ind. - The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear oral
arguments in the case Zachary J. Taylor v. State of Indiana on Feb.
21, 1 p.m. (EST), at Vincennes University’s Red Skelton Performing
Arts Center. The event is open to the public.
The annual event is hosted by VU’s Legal Studies program and
gives students the unique opportunity to observe oral argument
proceedings and then engage with the participants to discuss the
Indiana Court System.
A three-member panel of judges will hear the following case out
of Spencer County: Zachary J. Taylor appeals his convictions for Level
5 possession of methamphetamine and Level 6 possession of marijuana.
Taylor argues officers violated his Fourth Amendment and Article 1,
Section 11 rights because the information they received and relied
upon to obtain the search warrant - Officer Shourds' observation of
Taylor and Stokes through the gap in the window - constituted an
illegal search and thus any evidence collected thereafter was fruit of
the poisonous tree. The State argues Officer Shourds' actions were not
a search, and instead the information he obtained from looking through
the gap in the window was in "open view."
The scheduled panel members are Judge John G. Baker, Judge L.
Mark Bailey, and Judge Melissa S. May.
ABOUT THE INDIANA COURT OF APPEALS
Since its centennial in 2001, the Court has heard oral argument
in venues across the state to enable Hoosiers to learn about the
judicial branch. Sites typically include law schools, colleges, high
schools, and county courthouses.
The Indiana Court of Appeals is the state's second-highest
court and it reviews appeals from trial court decisions. A decision of
the Indiana Court of Appeals is final unless reviewed by the Indiana
Supreme Court on grant of further review. The majority of appeals
filed in Indiana are decided by the Court of Appeals.
The 15-member Court of Appeals issues some 2,000 written
opinions each year. The Court hears cases only in three-judge panels.
All panels have statewide jurisdiction and rotate three times per
year. Cases are randomly assigned.
###
LINK to VU Online Newsroom, click HERE
VICKIE PUFFER, Communications Coordinator & Online Newsroom
Manager
812-888-4162 office, 812-887-4635 cell,
VUNews@vinu.edu, vpuffer@vinu.edu
MARCIA MARTINEZ, University
Life Reporter & Sports Information Director
812-888-4164
office, 314-599-1519 cell, VUNews@vinu.edu, mmartinez@vinu.edu
VINCENNES UNIVERSITY, Department of University Relations, www.vinu.edu/newsroom