Atlanta, October 7, 2015 – The Supreme Court of Georgia will hold a special session of oral arguments next Friday, Oct. 16, in historic Ellijay, GA, located in in the Appalachian foothills of North Georgia. Court will be held at the Gilmer County Courthouse.
Each year, the state’s highest court travels outside Atlanta to hear cases for the purpose of making the court’s business and the judicial process more accessible to the public. The session, which begins at 10 a.m., is open to the public.
During this session, the court will hear appeals in two cases – one civil and one criminal. In the first case, college students who are not U.S. citizens are appealing a lower court’s ruling that tossed their lawsuit against the Georgia Board of Regents. The students wanted a declaration by the court that they are entitled to in-state tuition at Georgia’s colleges and universities. In the second case, a man charged with murdering a woman in Bibb County is appealing a judge’s refusal to suppress evidence from a wiretap of his cell phone when his case goes to trial.
As always, media are welcome. For those media who do plan to attend, please complete by Oct. 15 the media request form located on the court’s website: www.gasupreme.us. Also, please familiarize yourself beforehand with the court’s Media Rules, which are also on the website.
Ellijay is known as the “Apple Capital of Georgia,” producing more than 250,000 bushels of apples annually. Currently the community is celebrating the 44th Georgia Apple Festival, which features crafts, an antique car show, and a parade on Saturday morning, Oct. 17.