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Robe and Road:The Court on the RoadProgramBy Judge Latrice A. WestbrooksWhile trial courtroom proceduresare a frequent subject of newscoverage and television dramas,what happens in cases after trial remains lesswell known and understood. Part of the reason appellate proceedings are seen less oftenis because there are no trials. Juries are notempaneled, no witnesses testify, and no newevidence is considered. Oral arguments arenot as titillating and are not held as frequentlyas trial court hearings. Because of that, interaction with attorneys or the public at large issignificantly reduced. Another reason for lessinteraction is because Mississippi%u2019s appellatecourts %u2013 the Supreme Court and the Court ofAppeals %u2013 conduct their oral arguments andother court business in Jackson. The SupremeCourt, the state%u2019s highest court, is required bythe Mississippi Constitution to conduct itsproceedings in Jackson. However, the Courtof Appeals, created by statute, is not boundto hold court only in Jackson and is open toconvene in other locations.As a result of a conversation with Universityof Mississippi School of Law Professor PhillipBroadhead, then Chief Judge Leslie D. King(now a Supreme Court Presiding Justice)initiated the program at the Court of Appealsas a part of its regular calendar for oral arguments in 2005. At its genesis, the idea was togive law students more of an opportunity toengage in oral arguments. The early successof the program included the good will of theAttorney General%u2019s Office to allow its attorneysin the Criminal Appeals Division to travelwith the court. In recent years, the court hasvisited Alcorn State University, MississippiState University, Mississippi University forWomen, Mississippi Valley State University,the University of Mississippi School of Law,the University of Southern Mississippi, andRust College. The Court of Appeals also hasconvened at Jones County Junior College,Pearl River Community College, as well asHinds Community College at Utica. Last, butnot least, at the invitation of a local leadership,court has convened at the Old Capitol inJackson as well as the circuit courthouses inMarion and Washington Counties.The Court on the Road program providesstudents and the general public with a valuable opportunity to witness appellate courtproceedings firsthand, offering deeper insightinto the judicial process. It serves as an enriching educational experience, particularly forstudents interested in law, government, journalism, and related disciplines. By observingappeals in action, participants gain a practical understanding of how appellate courtsfunction, the role of judges, and thebroader impact of appellate rulings. Italso gives the judges an opportunityto stay civically engaged and educate the public about the judicialsystem. All the judges have participated in the program and eagerlyaccept invitations to convene invenues around the state.If you are interested in having the Court of Appeals convene and hold oral arguments ina venue near you, please emailour court administrator, CamilleHenick Evans at [email protected] VISITED:BiloxiColumbiaColumbusEllisvilleGreenvilleHolly SpringsItta BenaJackson (Old Capitol)LormanOxfordStarkvilleUticaJudge Latrice A. Westbrooks was sworn in as amember of the Mississippi Court of Appeals in2017. She earned a bachelor's degree from AustinPeay State University in Clarksdale, Tenn., anda Juris Doctorate from the University of DetroitMercy School of Law. She was admitted to TheMississippi Bar in 1997.SPRING 2025 17