The School of Law will host the Supreme Court of Georgia Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. in its Hatton Lovejoy Courtroom. The court will hear oral arguments on a criminal death penalty case and a civil medical malpractice case. The justices normally convene at the State Judicial Building but conduct one or two special sessions outside Atlanta each year.
This is the fourth time since 1993 that the court has held oral arguments at Georgia Law, the last being in 2004.
“To see our state’s highest court in action is a tremendous opportunity for our law school students,” said Georgia Law Dean Rebecca Hanner White. “One can learn a lot from watching legal counsel and justices interact at this level, and we are honored to host such an event.”
The cases being heard are Edenfield v. State (death penalty) and Shekhawat, et al. v. Jones et al. (medical malpractice).
In Edenfield, David Homer Edenfield is appealing the murder conviction and death sentence he received for the 2007 killing of 6-year-old Christopher Barrios Jr. in Glynn County.
In Shekhawat, two physicians with the Medical College of Georgia are appealing a Georgia Court of Appeals decision that found they were not entitled to sovereign immunity in the face of a lawsuit brought against them by the parents of an infant patient who suffered a lifetime disability.
While in Athens, the court also will hold an admission ceremony, allowing licensed attorneys to become members of the bar of the Supreme Court of Georgia. Although seating priority will be given to law school students, members of the public interested in attending may call 706-542-5172 for more information.
