September 12, 2007                                                                                    

Contacts: Sharon R. Hoggard  Regina Lightfoot Blue
757-823-8374  757-823-8655
srhoggard@nsu.edu rlblue@nsu.edu

Forum Looks at Whether Courts are Fair and Impartial

Norfolk, Va.—Norfolk State University, along with the League of Women Voters of South Hampton Roads and the Open Society Institute, will celebrate Constitution Day by hosting a timely and relevant forum exploring our court system. The forum—“Fair and Impartial Courts: Is our Justice System in Jeopardy?”—will be held at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 17, at the Robinson Technology Building, Room 136, which is located on the campus of Norfolk State. It is free and open to the community and seeks to explore whether the court system lives up to its constitutional underpinnings.

A part of the League of Women Voter’s Judicial Education and Awareness Project, the forum comes at a time when recent events such as the resignation of the U.S. Attorney General for alleged misuse of judicial power and disparities in prison sentencing across racial and socioeconomic lines prompts a look at the judicial system. In addition, the forum seeks to encourage citizens to think of ways to protect democracy.

Panelists include Kimberly Hutson, political science professor at Norfolk State; Bradley Jacob, law professor at Regent University; and Kent Willis, executive director of the American Civic Liberties Union-Virginia.

For more information, contact the Office of Communications and Marketing at 757-823-8373.
-rlb-