Each semester, the Supreme Court of Oregon holds public oral arguments on site at an Oregon high school. On November 13, 2019, the Court will hear two cases at David Douglas High School’s Performing Arts Center. The hearings are open to the public, as are all oral arguments before the Court. The resources downloadable here are materials to prepare students to understand the appeals process in Oregon, get to know the Supreme Court, and understand issues of judicial review, persuasive arguments, and the cases that will be argued before the Court.
Hearing 1: Olivia Chernaik v. Kate Brown (9:30am)
At issue: Two Oregon teenagers want the state to protect its natural resources from harm that could increase climate change damage. The state has a history of case law that sets the state government as the trustee of its public lands (it protects it for all Oregonians). Does that precedent mean the state should enforce rules that can reduce the effects of climate change in Oregon?
Hearing 2: State of Oregon v. Tamara Louise Fulmer (11:00am)
At issue: During a search of her car after being pulled over by a police officer, the police find methamphetamine and needles in the purse of the driver. She is charged with one count of illegal meth possession, but she claims the state must throw out the charge because it is based on an illegal search of her purse. She claims she should have been allowed to remove her purse from the car before the police searched it. Does Oregon law protect her purse from search or was the search improper, thus removing the evidence upon which her charge is based?