The Supreme Court Program: Virtual Edition
Ella Abney
Clayton Roark of St. Xavier High School, representing Family Dollar, making an argument toward Chief Justice Taylor Beth-Huff and her associates.
The Supreme Court Program is a hidden secret of the Kentucky Youth Assembly. It is one of the most strenuous programs regarding prep work, and each year, the counsels from each school take on two main tasks: representing either the Appellant or Appellee of a certain case, and then analyzing the Constitutionality of bills that have been passed to the Governor’s Office. The program area usually travels to Frankfort to compete in the beautiful Kentucky Supreme Court room, but this year, they are competing from their home offices, bedrooms, and living rooms.
The case on hand this year is Family Dollar vs. Mamie Baytos, which involves Mrs. Baytos, who is the widow of Mr. Baytos. Prior to Mr. Baytos’ death, he filed a worker’s compensation injury claim with his employer, Family Dollar. Two years following his death, Mrs. Baytos filed to reopen this settlement, arguing that she was entitled to the benefits of the worker’s compensation related to her husband’s death.
The counsels of each school represent either Family Dollar or Mamie Baytos in the Supreme Court, giving oral arguments claiming that Mamie Baytos either deserves compensation or does not. On the first day of the conference, the counsels deliver their arguments to the Chief Justice, Taylor Beth-Huff, and her Associates. Each counsel is ranked by these Supporting Officers on certain criteria, and on the second day of the conference, counsels compete in a Power Match. This contest matches similarly ranked counsels from the previous day. The Chief Justice and her Associates ask difficult questions that force the counsels to think on their feet, and some representatives use this as an opportunity to further persuade the judges. These power matches allow for the counsels to exhibit their arguments with the hope that representatives may be chosen to argue in the Supreme Court Showcase, which is viewed by the entire conference. The Attorneys representing in the Showcase this year are Gabriel Langley from Frankfort High School and Brooklyn Mullins of Mercer County High School representing the Appellant (Family Dollar), and Clayton Roak of St. Xavier High School and Ben Norton of Louisville Collegiate representing the Appelle (Mrs. Baytos).
On the other side of the Supreme Court Program, Attorney General Sanjana Nasta leads the delegates as they analyze the constitutionality of the most successful bills within the conference. Supreme Court delegates work strenuously to write briefs about each bill, as well as briefs regarding Governor Darby’s executive orders. Her order this year states, “I, Darby Greenwell, hereby declare that No Knock Warrants be disbanded with the execution of high risk cases that the judge will deem fit.” This order is correlated to the death of Breonna Taylor, who would debatably be alive today if No Knock Warrants had been disbanded. The Supreme Court representatives debated this order, and the revised executive order will be announced during the Final General Assembly this afternoon. The effort displayed by delegates under the Attorney General helps Nasta to determine who she will nominate to serve in her position next year, which will also be announced during the commencement of the conference.
