The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear oral argument in Gladys Tobias v. Margaret and Thomas Mannella on Monday, April 7th at 10:00 a.m. CT in the courtroom of Lake Superior Court, Civil Division #1, 232 Russell Street in Hammond.  A panel of Judge Patricia A. Riley, Judge James S. Kirsch and Judge Margret G. Robb will hear the case on appeal from Lake Superior Court.

The Court is asked to decide whether the trial court erred in finding that a tenant had no claim to a share in the profit received after the sale of the real estate on which the tenant lived.  Arguing for the appellant, Gladys Tobias, will be W. Joseph O’Connor of the O’Connor Law Firm in Hammond.  David Weigle of David W. Weigle & Associates in Hammond will argue for the Mannellas.

The Court hears oral argument at venues across the state to enable Hoosiers to learn about the judicial branch.  Members of the audience – including students participating in the “We The People” program at Munster High School and a group of students from Hanover Central High School in Cedar Lake – may ask questions about the judicial process in Indiana following the submission of the case.  Tobias v. Mannella will be the Court’s second visit to the courtroom of Judge Diane Kavadias-Schneider, and its fifth to Hammond, in the past eight years.  The Court 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.  

The 15 judges on the Court of Appeals issue more than 2,800 written opinions each year, sitting in three-judge panels.  For more information about the Court of Appeals and its “Appeals on Wheels” initiative, visit http://www.in.gov/judiciary/appeals/.  For additional information on Tobias v. Mannella, visit http://www.in.gov/judiciary/appeals/arguments.html.