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The Pennsylvania Superior Court will be on campus TODAY, October 1, to hear oral arguments about cases currently before the court. Oral arguments will take place in the morning from 9:30 am until noon and in the afternoon from 1:30 to 3:00 pm. The sessions will take place in the Gladys Mullenix Black Theatre in the Vukovich Center for Communication Arts.
For security reasons, please do not bring backpacks or bags with you to the theatre if you plan to attend oral arguments. You are also prohibited from using electronic devices to make video recordings, audio recordings, or take pictures during oral arguments. Students attending oral arguments for class assignments are encouraged to take notes with a pen and notebook.
Here’s some important context for the court’s visit:
The court’s visit to Allegheny College also gives our institution a unique distinction. Although the court periodically travels to hear oral arguments, those proceedings typically happen at local courthouses. Seldom do colleges or universities get the opportunity to host the court.
The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is one of the commonwealth’s two intermediate appellate courts. Established in 1895, the court is made up of 15 judges and handles criminal, civil, and family cases that are appealed from lower courts such as the Courts of Common Pleas.
Although Decisions from Superior Court generally receive less news coverage than state’s Supreme Court, it remains the statewide court with which an average Pennsylvanian is most likely to interact. Cases involving child custody, probation and parole, and business disputes can all end up in front of this court. While those cases can be reversed by the state Supreme Court, this rarely happens in practice.