ITTA BENA, Miss.—The Mississippi Court of Appeals will convene on the campus of Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena at 1 p.m. Feb. 13. A three-judge panel will hear oral arguments in a criminal appeal at the W.A. Butts Social Science Building Auditorium.
The Court of Appeals periodically schedules oral arguments on college campuses and occasionally at other locations in its Court on the Road program. Court on the Road helps educate students and the public about the judicial system and appeals court proceedings. Judges will answer questions from students after the oral arguments, but won’t talk about the pending case.
Court of Appeals Judge Latrice Westbrooks of Lexington said, “The Court on the Road program offers the opportunity for transparency and education. It will transform and elevate the public’s understanding of Mississippi’s judicial system. It also encourages civic engagement and exposes the public to the Court in a way that is not adversarial.”
The case to be heard is the criminal appeal of Matthew Jonathan Moberg v. State of Mississippi, cause number 2018-KA-1726. Moberg was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole in the May 23, 2017, slaying of 16-year-old Brian “Jessie” Parker. Parker’s body was found in Greene County, Mississippi. Moberg and Parker were from south Alabama.
The appellant brief filed on behalf of Moberg may be viewed on the Mississippi Judiciary website at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/appellatecourts/docket/sendPDF.php?f=web0001.COA.2...
The brief filed by the office of the Attorney General is at this link: https://courts.ms.gov/appellatecourts/docket/sendPDF.php?f=web0001.COA.2....
Moberg is represented by Mollie M. McMillin of the Office of State Public Defender Indigent Appeals Division. The State is represented by Special Assistant Attorney General Abbie Eason Koonce.
The oral arguments are expected to last approximately an hour. The appellant and appellee are each allowed 30 minutes.
People wishing to watch the proceedings are asked to be in their seats 15 minutes before the oral arguments are scheduled to begin.
The oral arguments will not be broadcast via the Court’s website, since the Court of Appeals is convening a special session away from its camera-equipped courtroom.
Any media organization which may wish to photograph or videotape the arguments must file a Camera Coverage Notice. Camera Coverage Notices should be directed to Clerk of the Court Jeremy Whitmire, fax 601-359-2407 or e-mail jwhitmire@courts.ms.gov, and to Assistant Court Administrator Camille Evans, fax 601-576-4708 or e-mail cevans@courts.ms.gov. The Camera Coverage Notice form is at https://courts.ms.gov/news/forms/camnotice.pdf.
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 http://courts.ms.gov/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_electronicphotographic_c....