In this presentation Judge Craig Johnston, a retired judge of our Circuit Court, will discuss when and how the Constitution is applied in cases in Virginia Courts, from the lowest to the highest. You will then get the facts of a real case with Constitutional issues, and follow it as it proceeded through the judicial system. At each step, you will try your hand at deciding how the Constitutional issues should be decided, then see how they were actually decided—see whether you agree with the Courts’ actual decisions. (Hint: the various courts which addressed the case did not always agree with each other.) Along the way you will be able to ask questions about how the Constitution actually affects Virginia Courts and the citizens who appear in court. Looking at these issues from a court’s point of view will give you better insight into what is going on in cases of all kinds with Constitutional issues.


LLI Coordinator: Craig Johnston