On May 27, 2009, the Tennessee Supreme Court brought the SCALES program to Tennessee Boys State for the seventh consecutive year. SCALES, which stands for Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students, is a Tennessee Supreme Court initiative designed to educate high school students about the judicial branch of government.
The SCALES program brings together the judiciary, the bar, and educators to promote a better understanding of the judicial branch of government and the central role of the courts in our society. As part of the SCALES program, students get the unique opportunity to hear the oral arguments for an actual Supreme Court case.
Created in 1995 by then-Chief Justice Riley Anderson, the SCALES program has given more than 20,000 Tennessee students from 400 high schools the ability to see the judicial branch in action.
“It is our hope that this experience fosters a sense of the importance of the rule of law and an awareness of the responsibility of all citizens to understand the judicial process,” said Chief Justice Janice Holder.
The Supreme Court heard two cases as part of the SCALES program at Boys State. The first case, State of Tennessee v. Maron Donta Brown, involved the search and seizure of a sealed package in the defendant’s car. The second case, State of Tennessee v. Jerry Lee Hanning explored whether the warrantless detention and questioning of the defendant violated the Fourth Amendment.
More than 600 high school juniors attended this year’s Tennessee Boys State, which was held at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tenn. Tennessee Boys State is overseen by 13th Judicial District Judge John J. Maddux Jr.