The University of Alabama School of Law hosted the Supreme Court of Alabama for a special session—an oral argument hearing—on Wednesday, January 28, at the Frank Moody Music Building on campus.
“The Supreme Court was honored to accept the invitation from Dean Brewbaker and the School of Law to hold an oral argument on campus at the University of Alabama,” said Chief Justice Sarah Stewart. “It is imperative that students across campus have the opportunity to see the state’s highest court at work so they can learn how a case progresses through the judicial system and develop trust in the judiciary. After meeting many exceptional law students and learning more about the new School of Leadership and Policy at the University of Alabama, I am confident that the University of Alabama is training another generation of service-minded leaders.”
This special session offered a unique opportunity for Alabama Law students, other UA students, and the broader Tuscaloosa community to observe oral arguments before the full Court.
“We are deeply grateful to Chief Justice Stewart and the Associate Justices for bringing the Court to Tuscaloosa,” said Alabama Law Dean Bill Brewbaker. “Part of providing a great legal education to our students is giving them the opportunity to observe how the most accomplished lawyers and judges do their work, and this oral argument hearing was an outstanding example of that.”
The hearing before the Court, Ex parte Mac Bailey Marquette PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS (In re: State of Alabama v. Mac Bailey Marquette) (Morgan Circuit Court: CC-24-9), concerned the application of prosecutorial immunity to a law enforcement officer. This case originated in the Morgan County Circuit Court, which denied the petitioner’s motion for pre-trial immunity in the underlying case. The petitioner then sought a writ of mandamus, an order compelling the lower court to change their ruling, from the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, which was also denied. This petition now comes before the Supreme Court seeking review of the Court of Criminal Appeals’ ruling. Click here to read the case overview provided by the Court, and view the rest of the case files on the Alabama Supreme Court’s website.
The video recording of the argument is available on the Supreme Court of Alabama’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SupremeCourtofAlabama/featured. For additional information, visit https://judicial.alabama.gov/appellate/supremecourt.
About The Supreme Court of Alabama
The Supreme Court of Alabama is composed of a chief justice and eight associate justices. The chief justice is the administrative head of Alabama’s Unified Judicial System. The Supreme Court, the highest state court, has jurisdiction over all civil appeals where the “amount involved” exceeds $50,000, and may review intermediate criminal and civil appellate court decisions on a writ of certiorari. The Court also makes rules governing administration, practice, and procedure in all courts.
About The University of Alabama School of Law
The University of Alabama School of Law is a top public law school with alumni living in every state. Alabama Law students graduate with one of the lowest student debt-loads in the country, and they are highly sought after by employers both within and outside Alabama. The Law School regularly places among the top 10 of all law schools in the proportion of its students receiving federal judicial clerkships. Maintaining its role as the only public law school in the state of Alabama, the Law School at the University of Alabama has produced local, national, and global leaders for more than 150 years.
About The University of Alabama
The University of Alabama, part of The University of Alabama System, is the state’s flagship university. UA shapes a better world through its teaching, research and service. With a global reputation for excellence, UA provides a forward-thinking environment and over 200 degree programs on a beautiful, student-centered campus. A leader in cutting-edge research, UA advances discovery, creative inquiry and knowledge through more than 30 research centers. As the state’s largest higher education institution, UA drives economic growth in Alabama and beyond.