The Indiana Court of Appeals will hear oral argument in Victor Vega Torres v. State of Indianaon Tuesday, April 8th at 10:00 a.m. at Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette.  A panel of Judge Ezra H. Friedlander, Judge Margret G. Robb and Judge Cale J. Bradford will hear the case on appeal from Lake Superior Court.

The Court is asked to decide whether Mr. Torres’ maximum sentence of eight years following a guilty plea to child molesting is inappropriate in light of the nature of the offense and his character, including his history of mental illness.  Arguing for the appellant, Mr. Torres, will be Thomas Vanes of the Lake County Public Defenders’ Office.  Deputy Attorney General Arturo Rodriguez will argue for the State.

The Court hears oral argument at venues across the state to enable Hoosiers to learn about the judicial branch, and members of the audience are invited to ask questions about the judicial process in Indiana following the submission of the case.   Torres v. State will be the Court’s seventh visit to Ivy Tech’s Lafayette campus in as many 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 Torres v. State, visit http://www.in.gov/judiciary/appeals/arguments.html.