The Mississippi Court of Appeals will convene on the campus of Alcorn State University as part of the Court on the Road Program.
A three-judge panel will hear a criminal appeal on April 11 at 10:30 a.m. on the campus of Alcorn State University in Lorman, Miss. The program will be held in the Dr. Clinton Bristow Jr. Dining Facility — Gold Room, located on the second floor. Students and the public are invited.
The Court on the Road program schedules oral arguments on college campuses and occasionally at other locations as a teaching tool to give students and the public opportunities to watch proceedings in cases on appeal. It offers a unique learning experience for students with an interest in law, government, journalism, and a variety of other fields. The public may attend to gain a better understanding of appellate court proceedings. Judges will answer questions from students after the oral arguments but will not talk about the cases heard on appeal.
Court of Appeals Judge Latrice A. Westbrooks of Lexington, who coordinated arrangements for the upcoming campus visits, said, “The Court on the Road program offers the opportunity for transparency and education. It elevates the public’s understanding of Mississippi’s judicial system. It also encourages civic engagement and exposes the students to the Court in a way that is not adversarial. There are no witnesses and no jury.”
Each proceeding is expected to last approximately an hour, with lawyers on each side having 30 minutes to present their arguments. Spectators should be seated in the courtroom 15 minutes before the proceeding.
The case to be heard at Alcorn State University is that of Wesley Littleton v. State of Mississippi, cause number 2023-KA-0239-COA. A trial court jury in Yazoo County Circuit Court convicted Littleton of first-degree murder in the Sept. 17, 2021, slaying of Willie Thomas. Littleton claimed self-defense, stating in court documents that he and his friend Thomas got into an argument in Littleton’s kitchen. After Littleton was convicted, Circuit Judge Jannie Lewis-Blackmon sentenced him to life without parole. Littleton appealed.
Here is a link to the case docket: https://courts.ms.gov/index.php?cn=96196#dispArea.
The appellant’s brief on behalf of Wesley Littleton is at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/appellatecourts/docket/sendPDF.php?f=web0001.COA.2023-KA- 239.87116.0.pdf&c=96196&a=N&s=2.
The appellee’s brief on behalf of the Attorney General is at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/appellatecourts/docket/sendPDF.php?f=web0001.COA.2023-KA- 239.89548.0.pdf&c=96196&a=N&s=2
Any media organization which may wish to photograph or videotape the oral arguments, including student journalists, must file a Camera Coverage Notice. Camera Coverage Notices should be directed to Clerk of the Courts Jeremy Whitmire, e-mail [email protected], fax 601-359- 2407; and to Assistant Court Administrator Camille Evans, e-mail [email protected], fax 601-576-4708. The Camera Coverage Notice form is at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/news/forms/camnotice.pdf
Media photographers and videographers must be familiar with and follow the Rules for Electronic and Photographic Coverage of Judicial Proceedings. The camera coverage rules are available at https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_coverage.pdf.
The oral arguments will not be broadcast via the court’s website, since the Court of Appeals is convening in special sessions away from its camera-equipped courtroom.
Attendees must be seated by 9:45 a.m.
Attendees must wear professional attire. No jeans or shorts.
Items Prohibited in the Court Room
Guns, Knives, and all other Weapons
Cameras, Recorders, Pagers, Newspapers and Magazines
Cellular Phones, Tobacco, Alcohol or Drugs, Food and Beverages
All Personnel and Packages are subject to inspection by Alcorn State University Police or U.S. Marshalls
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of University Compliance at [email protected].
