The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces will hold oral arguments at the University of Colorado Law School at 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1 in Wittemyer Courtroom. The presentation is free and open to the public.
A welcome message from Colorado Law Dean S. James Anaya will begin at 2:25 p.m. The oral arguments are expected to finish at 3:30 p.m., followed by 15-20 minutes of Q&A.
The oral arguments are presented as part of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Armed Forces Project Outreach Program, where the court holds arguments at a handful of law schools, military bases, and other public facilities around the nation. This practice was developed as part of a public awareness program to demonstrate the operation of a federal court of appeals and the military criminal justice system.
“Colorado Law is honored to be a part of Project Outreach this year, and to host all five judges of the court,” said Jodie Hoke, director for judicial clerkships at Colorado Law.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces will hear arguments from counsel in United States v. Bowen, a domestic violence assault case. Two Colorado Law students, Patrick Kummerer ('17) and Adam Zenger ('18), will participate as amicus curiae (friend of the court), where they deliver information that may assist the court in its final decision.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (USCAAF) is the highest U.S. military court, reviewing decisions of the four intermediate military appeals courts (Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Navy-Marine Corps). Appeals from rulings of the USCAAF are taken to the United States Supreme Court.
The court is comprised of five civilian judges appointed for 15-year terms by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate:
- The Honorable Charles E. “Chip” Erdmann
- The Honorable Scott W. Stucky
- The Honorable Margaret A. Ryan
- The Honorable Kevin A. Ohlson
- The Honorable John E. Sparks
Biographies of the judges can be found here.