State Supreme Courts Bring Hearings to Communities

The Wisconsin Supreme Court held oral arguments at Chippewa Falls’ Heyde Center as part of its Justice on Wheels outreach program, giving students and residents a chance to observe the court outside Madison. Justices heard cases involving the authority of state Department of Natural Resources wardens and public input on the management plan for Blue Mound State Park; rulings are expected later. The Idaho Supreme Court is also taking hearings outside its capital, with arguments scheduled in Idaho Falls and Pocatello as required periodically by state law and the constitution. The Idaho hearings will cover five civil cases and are intended, like Wisconsin’s session, to let residents see the judicial process firsthand.