The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear oral argument in Jerald J. Womack v. State of Indiana on Thursday, April 24th at 9:30 a.m. at Wawasee High School in Syracuse.  A panel of Chief Judge John G. Baker, Judge Terry A. Crone, and Judge Cale J. Bradford will hear the case on appeal from Kosciusko Circuit Court.

Mr. Womack appeals his convictions for Class D felony marijuana possession and for being a habitual controlled substance offender, as well as the nine-year sentence he received.  The convictions are based on evidence that marijuana was found in a car in which Mr. Womack had been driving and that he had a certain number of prior controlled substance convictions.  Among the issues Mr. Womack raises, he contends that the police search of the car violated his rights under the Indiana and federal constitutions and that the State failed to prove that he possessed the marijuana that was found.  Arguing for the appellant, Mr. Womack, will be Michael W. Reed of Reed & Earhart Attorneys at Law in Warsaw.  Deputy Attorney General Ian McLean will argue for the State of Indiana.

The Court hears oral argument at venues across the state to enable Hoosiers to learn about the judicial branch.  Members of the audience may ask questions about the judicial process in Indiana following the submission of the case.  Although Womack v. State will be the Court’s first visit to Wawasee High School, it has heard more than 200 oral arguments “on the road” at law schools, colleges, high schools and county courthouses since its centennial in 2000-2001. 

The Indiana Court of Appeals is the state’s second-highest court.  It reviews appeals from trial court decisions; a decision of the Indiana Court of Appeals is final unless granted further review by the Indiana Supreme Court.  The majority of appeals filed in Indiana are decided by the Court of Appeals.