The Minnesota Supreme Court will visit Fairmont High School in October to hold its 50th traveling oral arguments.
The program seeks to teach students about the Minnesota court system and build the public’s trust, confidence and understanding of the judiciary. There will be a community dinner on Tue Oct. 8.
On the morning of Oct. 9, the court will hold oral arguments in an actual court case in front of hundreds of students in the Performing Arts Center at Fairmont High School. Fairmont students in grades 9-12 will attend, along with students from Martin County West, Truman, Martin Luther, Granada-Huntley-East Chain and Arise Academy.
Following oral arguments, the justices will hold a question-and-answer session with students, followed by lunch with student representatives. They also will spend the afternoon visiting classrooms at Fairmont High School.
The evening before, on Oct. 8, community members are invited to the Holiday Inn in Fairmont to meet and share dinner with members of the Supreme Court and local district court judges. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6.
Tickets for the community event are $20 to cover the cost of dinner. They can be purchased through Fairmont CER by calling (507) 235-3141 or ordering online at https://fairmont.revtrak.net/ Community-Education-1002 under “community events.” They also can be purchased in the CER office at 714 Victoria St. in Fairmont.
Tickets must be purchased in advance by Oct. 1 as seating is limited.
The Traveling Oral Argument Program has been traveling to two high schools in Minnesota each year, one in the spring and one in the fall, since 1995. Forty-seven communities in 31 counties in the state have hosted the program. The Fairmont event marks the 50th for the court.