Kentucky Appeals Court To Hear Arguments At WKU Feb. 18

February 12, 2009

Bowling Green, Ky. - The Kentucky Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments at Western Kentucky University on Wednesday (Feb. 18) in the case of a Kentucky state trooper who claims that a former Butler County sheriff is responsible for the near fatal injury he sustained while responding to a call in January 1999. The trooper was assigned to the Kentucky State Police post in Bowling Green at the time of the incident.

The court will also hear oral arguments in appeals involving worker’s compensation and termination of parental rights and adoption while in Bowling Green. All proceedings will be open to the public. Proceedings will take place WKU’s Mass Media and Technology Hall Auditorium (room 166).

In the case Brent Wasson v. Kenneth Morris, Trooper Brent Wasson is appealing the lawsuit he lost against former Sheriff Kenneth Morris in Butler County Circuit Court in 2008. Wasson claims that then-Sheriff Morris’ failure to tell him about the danger of a call he was responding to in the county resulted in the trooper being shot three times with his service weapon by the man who was the subject of the call. The issues in the case include whether there was a special relationship between the trooper and sheriff that would have indicated a duty for the sheriff to act, the trooper’s assumption of risk in responding to the call and sovereign or qualified immunity.

A three-judge panel consisting of Court of Appeals Judges Janet L. Stumbo and Jeff S. Taylor and Senior Judge John W. Graves will hear oral arguments in the case at 1:30 p.m. CST.

The panel will hear oral arguments in the worker’s compensation appeal William Lyons et al. v. Old Chicago Pizza et al. at 2:15 p.m. CST. Another panel consisting of Court of Appeals Judges James H. Lambert and Jeff S. Taylor and Senior Judge John W. Graves will hear oral arguments at 3 p.m. CST in R.M. et al. v. R.B. et al., the appeal involving termination of parental rights and adoption.

For additional information on the court docket, click on http://www.courts.ky.gov/pressreleases/PR02122009A.htm
               
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