MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The entire Michigan Supreme Court was in Marquette today where they gave the public a rare glimpse of how the court operates.
Twice a year the Michigan Supreme Court travels to various cities around the state to hear oral arguments in cases before them. The program is called “Court Community Connections” where members of the public including area high school students were invited to witness the proceedings.
The case before them is the People vs. Jeffery Armstrong, a case where the defendant is appealing a gun possession charge stemming from a 2020 incident in Detroit. While on an unrelated call, police officers smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle Armstrong was a passenger in. After asking the defendant to exit the vehicle, a handgun was found. At issue is whether or not the arresting officer had probable cause to detain the subject, something the defense attorney says is a violation of his 4th amendment rights.
After the oral arguments, the students were able to ask questions of the lawyers involved. Defense attorney Andrew Sullivan says it’s a rare opportunity for these students.
“Students seemed very engaged. They asked really good questions, so I appreciated that they’ve clearly been doing their homework,” said Sullivan.
The seven high court justices heard from the prosecutor, the defense, and a lawyer representing the ACLU. High school junior Peyton Bednar enjoyed the experience.
“Both Sides have a lot of good points. I think the justices really countered them with some good questions. And I think it was very interesting,” said Bednar.
Justice Kyra Bolden believes connecting with the community is essential.
We go to different places in the state to make sure that the community understands what the Michigan Supreme Court is about and how we go about making determinations on our cases,” said Bolden.
After the hearing and the Q&A, students were able to talk to the judges at a reception in their honor.
