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The Indiana Supreme Court will travel to Corydon in Harrison County on April 20, 2016 to hold an oral argument in the original Supreme Court Courtroom. The premier event for the judicial branch to celebrate the state bicentennial will include a modern day argument in the original location of state government. The event is endorsed by the Indiana Bicentennial Commission as an official Bicentennial Legacy Project.
The Indiana Supreme Court held its first oral argument in Corydon on May 5, 1817, in the case of McDowell v. Davis. The three judge panel met in a small room (about 500 square feet) in the upstairs of the capitol building. The Senate met in another room upstairs and the House of Representatives met downstairs in the same building.
The Indiana Department of Education is supporting the event and encouraging classrooms across the state to participate through an archived webcast of the argument which is expected to be available April 22. Attorneys and judges are invited to visit a school in their community as part of the celebration to talk about the judicial branch. Educators and speakers will have access to case briefs and other resources at courts.in.gov/corydon that provide teaching points for speaking to students.
The Indiana State Bar Association, in coordination with the local bars of Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, and Scott counties, is supporting the event. They are encouraging attorneys and judges to speak to students about the judicial branch including oral argument procedure and the daily operations of the courts.
The Court holds about 70 oral arguments at the State House in Indianapolis each year. Occasionally, it schedules arguments outside the capitol to allow students, press, and public in other areas of the state an opportunity to see the work of the Court.
