Iowa Supreme Court to convene in Decorah on April 8th

Some of the next hearings by the Iowa Supreme Court will be held in the Decorah High School Auditorium.
 
The justices have announced they will hear oral arguments in two cases at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 8th, in the high school.  It's part of an effort by the justices to explain to the public how the Supreme Court works.
 
The court session will be open to the public.  Attorneys will present their arguments in two cases:

• State of Iowa vs. Tyler James Webster, case no. 13-1095, from Jefferson County
 
Defendant Tyler Webster appealed his conviction of murder in the second degree on the grounds of juror misconduct, including that the juror did not disclose a familiarity with the victim's family. The Iowa Court of Appeals reversed Webster's conviction and granted a new trial. The Iowa Supreme Court granted the State's Application for Further Review. The State argues that Webster waived his claim of juror misconduct when he did not raise the issue during the original trial.
 
• State of Iowa vs. Patience Paye, case no. 14-0183, from Black Hawk County
 
Defendant Patience Paye appeals her conviction for second offense public intoxication, arguing that the front steps of her home do not constitute a "public place" for purposes of the public intoxication statute. Iowa Code section 123.46 (2013). The Iowa Supreme Court has previously held that the front steps and common hallway of an apartment house do constitute public places, but it has not extended that analysis to a single family home.

Attorneys' briefs for the cases and a guide to oral arguments are posted on the Iowa Judicial Branch website at: http://www.iowacourts.gov/About_the_Courts/Supreme_Court/Offsite_Oral_Arguments_Decorah/.
 
A public reception with the supreme court justices will follow the oral arguments in the Decorah High School commons.