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KIRKSVILLE, MO -- Kirksville residents have front row seats to a rare appeals court hearing.

The Missouri Court of Appeals Western District based out of Kansas City held a court session at Truman State University.

A three-judge panel consisting of Judge Gary Witt, Judge Joseph Ellis, and Judge Mark Pfeiffer heard oral arguments in five cases. Attorneys presented appeals and argued whether their previous trials had errors and if they should have a new trial.

The panel tries to keep the cases local so the community and Truman students will come out and see the different cases that occur in our area.

"We get appeals from about 45 counties including Adair County. So our Chief Clerk picks out cases from this area when we come to Kirksville to have factual scenarios that would be interesting to the public and to the students," said Judge Gary Witt of the Missouri Court of Appeals.

The appeals court panel comes to Kirksville once a year.

Judge Witt says they always get great feedback from the community when they come.

"We get great feedback. I was here last year and two months ago, I got an e-mail from a student, who watched last year, he and his friends were trying to figure out a legal thing and asked me a question about it and what my thoughts were on it," Witt said. "It was great to see a college student feel comfortable to contact us. I was really impressed with that. We get really good feedback for being out on the road."