Rangeview High School Hosts CO Court of Appeals

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2015

WHAT: Rangeview High School Hosts Colorado Court of Appeals
WHEN: Tuesday, November 3, 10 a.m.
WHERE: Rangeview High School, 11700 E. 11^th Ave.

Rangeview High School Hosts CO Court of Appeals

Rangeview High School will host the Colorado Court of Appeals on Tuesday, November 3. The visit is part of the Colorado Judicial Branch’s Courts in the Community – an outreach program the Colorado Supreme Court and Court of Appeals initiated on Law Day (May 1, 1986).

The program gives Colorado high school students first-hand experience in how the Colorado judicial system works and illustrates how disputes are resolved in a democratic society. These are not mock proceedings. The court will hear actual arguments from which it will issue opinions.

A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals –Robert D. Hawthorne, David Furman and David J. Richman.– will hear oral arguments in these two cases:

• 15CA0285, Anne Margaret Hesford v. Vail Summit Resorts Inc.: Ms. Hesford asked the Colorado Court of Appeals to review a trial court’s decision to dismiss her lawsuit against Vail Summit Resorts Inc., claiming the company was liable for injuries she suffered when she slipped on ice in a parking lot the company operates in Breckenridge. In the trial court, the company argued there was no evidence it had failed to uphold any standard of care it owed to people using the parking lot. The trial court also agreed with the company that there was no evidence to demonstrate Ms. Hesford’s injuries resulted from “anything other than the natural snow and ice conditions that are common in a high alpine environment during the winter months.” The Court of Appeals’ decision will determine whether Ms. Hesford’s lawsuit can proceed in the trial court.
• 12CA2407, The People of the State of Colorado v. Linda Ecco Dalton: Ms. Dalton has asked the Colorado Court of Appeals to review her conviction on a charge of felony criminal mischief, which was filed against her after she drove her car through the garage door of a used-car lot in Fruita, damaging several motorcycles and other items in the garage. During her trial, Ms. Dalton argued she did not act knowingly on the night of the offense because she had recently stopped taking her anti-depressant medication and had taken two sleeping pills that evening. She argued because she did not act knowingly, the prosecutor could not prove that element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Ms. Dalton asked the Colorado Court of Appeals to determine whether there was enough evidence to prove she acted knowingly during the offense. She also asked the court to determine whether certain statements and arguments the prosecutor made during jury selection and closing arguments deprived her of her right to a fair trial.

A question-and-answer session, during which the students can ask questions of the attorneys, will follow the presentation of arguments in each case. At the conclusion of the second argument, the students will also be given the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session with the Court of Appeals judges.

*** IMPORTANT NOTE***
Media interested in attending must first contact:
Jon Sarché
Colorado Judicial Department
jon.sarche@judicial.state.co.us                                
720.625.5811

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Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist
Patti Moon at 303-326-2755 for more information