Litigation

Cal. Litig. 2023, Volume 35, Issue 3

CONFESSIONS FROM AN ELECTRONIC PLATFORM 2022: APPELLATE ARGUMENT

Written by Justice Eileen C. Moore*

Just because one can argue an appeal electronically doesn’t mean one should. The wiser option may be to appear in person and make the argument.

WHEN THERE ARE NO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS

Even when an electronic argument proceeds as planned and no one forgets to unmute, there’s something lacking. I think it’s that we are so used to following arguments by both listening and watching people’s lips move as well as observing body language. But with the screens, either we can’t see counsel’s lips that well or counsel can’t see ours when we ask a question. Thus, a justice might ask a question and counsel looks around to figure out what just happened. Often the question has to be repeated. Repeating a question is, of course, not a problem, but I have noticed that we tend to ask fewer questions during electronic arguments. It’s probably so we don’t take counsel’s argument off course.

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