May 5, 2015 2 min read

As a resident of this judicial district, it was an honor and privilege to attend the recent proceedings before the visiting judges of the Pennsylvania Superior Court April 28 in the Washington County Courthouse.

Superior Court Judges Jack Panella, Paula Ott, and Jacqueline Shogan not only welcomed the public, they also invited students to remain for a question-and-answer session after the proceedings. Given such a unique learning experience, I found it very unfortunate that more school districts in the region did not take advantage of this opportunity, especially during these volatile times when all Americans should be extremely concerned that justice and basic civil rights are being denied to so many across this country.

In their opening statements, the judges reaffirmed their responsibility in upholding the Constitution in all of their proceedings, and all three judges were well-prepared for every argument. Knowledgeable of every detail in each case presented before them, they made very thoughtful and informed inquiries to both the appellants and appellees throughout the proceedings.

Having spent the entire day hearing arguments for all of the cases, I am extremely interested in whether the rulings previously set forth by the trial courts in each of these cases will be upheld or overturned by these three very deliberate jurists.

One can only hope that it isn’t 2048 before the Pennsylvania Superior Court hears arguments in the county again.

Jacie Carter

Claysville