Media Advisory



PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT
John Adams Courthouse
One Pemberton Square
Boston , MA 02108

CONTACT: Alex McNeil, Esq. Court Administrator Massachusetts Appeals Court 617-725-8098 alex.mcneil@appct.state.ma.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 9, 2009 MASSACHUSETTS APPEALS COURT TO HOLD SITTING IN PITTSFIELD ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 What: A panel of three Associate Justices of the Massachusetts Appeals Court will hear oral arguments in five appeals in a special session to be held on the campus of Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield. The Pittsfield sitting is part of the Appeals Court's continuing outreach to communities outside Boston, where the Court generally holds its sittings. It also coincides with Berkshire Community College's 50th Anniversary Celebration. The session is open to the public. Teachers and students from local area high schools and members of the college's community, including the local chapter of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, are expected to attend. Oral arguments for each case take approximately thirty minutes. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. The SJC Rule for cameras in the courtroom will apply. Interested media representatives should contact Alex McNeil in advance of the sitting. Immediately following the session, the justices, Hon. Joseph Trainor, Hon. Kent Smith, and Hon. Ariane Vuono will conduct an informal question and answer period for the students on general topics related to their roles and the role of an intermediate appellate court. (Pending matters will not be discussed.) When: Monday, September 21, 2009 9:30 a.m. Where: Berkshire Community College 1350 West Street, Pittsfield Background: Established in 1972, the Appeals Court is an intermediate court of general appellate jurisdiction. Most appeals from the several Departments of the Trial Court are entered initially in the Appeals Court; some are then transferred to the Supreme Judicial Court, but a large majority will be decided by the Appeals Court. The Appeals Court also has jurisdiction over appeals from final decisions of three State agencies: the Appellate Tax Board, the Department of Industrial Accidents and the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board. More information about the court and the cases scheduled for argument may be obtained from the court's recently updated website, http://www.mass.gov/courts/appealscourt