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The Indiana Court of Appeals will be participating in Civic Learning Week next week in partnership with the Indiana Bar Foundation.
The week of March 11-15 is centered around a national civic learning initiative to promote a strong democracy.
In conjunction with the week, an educational video was released featuring Chief Judge Robert Altice Jr. and Floyd Superior Court Judge Maria D. Granger.
The video offers a “fuller understanding of the judicial branch,” according to Tim Kalgreen, director of Civic Education for the Bar Foundation, and features candid insights from two leading judicial officers about the important roles of judges and the rule of law in the State of Indiana.
Students, educators, and the general public are invited to view the video to learn more about the important role of the judiciary in our democracy and to get to know the people “behind the robes.”
“The Indiana Bar Foundation is proud to participate in Civic Learning Week,” Charles Dunlap, president & CEO of the foundation said in a news release. “We hope this interview helps students, educators, and all Hoosiers better understand this part of our government through our state’s judicial branch. It’s both exciting and fascinating to hear from our state’s judges as we learn more about them, their roles as judges, and how the courts work.”
The appellate court received the 2023 Sandra Day O’Connor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education for its traveling oral argument program, Appeals on Wheels.
“Civics education is a top priority of the Court of Appeals,” Altice said in a news release. “We hit the pavement year-round in Indiana to show the public who we are and what we do. We’re proud to participate in Civic Learning Week to support civics education on a national level.”
Appellate events
The court will be traveling for two oral arguments next week as part of its Appeals on Wheels program.
On March 12, the court will be at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville hearing oral arguments for Vlietstra v. State of Indiana, 23A-CR-1786.
Jeffery Alan Vlietstra was convicted of Level 5 felony burglary and he admitted to being a habitual offender.
He now argues that the Lake Superior Court improperly took judicial notice of and relied upon suppression proceedings in a pending case in Porter County. He claims that judicial notice was improper because the Porter County case was still pending and while the trial court reviewed the filings from that case, it did not review the transcript of the suppression hearing or the actual evidence presented at that hearing.
Vlietstra further claims that certain evidence admitted at trial over his objection should have been excluded under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 11 of the Indiana Constitution, Indiana Rules of Evidence and general principles of due process.
Additionally, he claims the state failed to present sufficient evidence to support his burglary conviction.
Judges Melissa May, Leanna Weissmann and Peter Foley are the scheduled panelists for the oral argument set for 10 a.m. in the Josephine K. Carter Hall at the University of Southern Indiana.
The court will also be traveling to Merrillville on March 14.
Judge Rudolph Pyle, Elizabeth Tavitas and Foley will be hearing oral arguments in Linda Newman v. State of Indiana, 23A-CR-2329.
The state alleged Linda Newman abandoned the family’s animals during a contentious divorce. She was convicted of Class A misdemeanor cruelty to an animal.
Newman argues that the evidence is insufficient to sustain her conviction and that her sentence of 180 probation is inappropriate in light of the nature of her offense and her character.
Oral arguments will be held at 1:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Andrean High School.
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