MONTEREY – Local students will have the chance to question California Supreme Court members about the state’s judicial system before Wednesday’s special session of the court in Monterey, the first time the court has met in the city in more than 45 years.
The session, which begins at 9 a.m., consists of four oral argument sessions to be attended by students and teachers from schools in and around Monterey County, as well as the general public.
The California Supreme Court previously held oral arguments in Monterey County in 1979, 1970 and 1959, according to a press release from the Supreme Court of California.
The special session will be held at Colton Hall Museum – the location of California’s first constitutional convention in 1849.
Jorge Navarrete, clerk and executive officer of the California Supreme Court, said the special sessions provide access for anyone in a community the court visits to understand the role of the Supreme Court and the judiciary system within society. Navarrete said that, particularly for students, the special sessions can be helpful in discovering new career opportunities for students who may be unfamiliar with judicial and legal systems.
“This is really to provide access to justice for everyone,” Navarrete said. “And for everyone to be able to understand the role the Supreme Court and the judiciary plays in our society.”
Before Wednesday’s session, Navarrete said, attorneys visited schools around Monterey County to speak to students about the judicial process so attending students have a basic understanding of what they will see. Navarrete added that the court’s goal was to help the students understand how the cases they view moved through the system.
Students from K-12 schools in and around Monterey County such as Greenfield High School will be in attendance, as well as higher education institutions like Gavilan College in Gilroy, Navarrete said. The session will also be open to the public.
The special session is one of several events in Monterey celebrating California’s 175th anniversary. The Monterey Public Library also held two constitutional convention reenactments at Colton Hall Sunday and there will be an evening walking tour of Colton Hall and the Old Jail Oct. 29.
“We are excited to see the students come and be a part of our proceedings and for them to be exposed to and learn more about the Supreme Court and more about the justices,” Navarrete said.
Priority seating Wednesday is for student groups, but additional streaming locations will be at Monterey Public Library, Monterey City Council Chambers and Irvine Auditorium at Middlebury.
A list of oral arguments being heard by the California Supreme Court can be found at: https://supreme.courts.ca.gov/case-information/oral-arguments/oral-arguments-calendar.
