Every year for nearly two decades, the seven Justices of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court have held oral arguments in appeals of real cases in high schools around the state. This year, on Wednesday, Oct. 9, the state’s highest court will be holding oral arguments at Deering High School, with students from Deering, Portland and Casco Bay high schools all invited to attend.

At Deering, the court will hold oral arguments for three cases currently on appeal before it. The cases will be argued at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. The first case will focus on the question of whether police can charge someone with operating under the influence when they were summoned to that person’s vehicle to render assistance because of a suspected medical emergency but instead found them under the influence of drugs. In the second case, the court will consider whether a person convicted of hindering the arrest of his brother on a charge of murder should have his conviction overturned after his brother was subsequently acquitted of the crime. The third argument will focus on how far to the right a bicyclist is required to ride to let a motor vehicle pass on a roadway.

Maureen Sturtevant, a Portland Public Schools parent and attorney at Drummond Woodsum, will serve as the attorney for the day, helping students understand the proceedings and engage in questions and answers. 

“This makes real the material that our students study abstractly in their civics, government, and history classes.  They are getting a front row seat to something most Americans will never see in person,” said Deering Principal Jake Giessman.

More information about the high court’s school visits can be found at this link:

https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/sjc/arguments-hs.html More information about the cases being presented at Deering can be found at: https://www.courts.maine.gov/courts/sjc/calendar.html

The Portland Public Schools is Maine’s largest school district, with more than 6,600 students, and it’s also the most diverse. About one-third of the district’s students come from homes where languages other than English are spoken—a total of 53 languages. Approximately 48 percent of the district’s students are white and 52 percent are students of color. Nearly half of PPS students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.