Before the Court
The Justices Weigh in During Oral Arguments
At 10:02 a.m. on October 6, 1998, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments for case number 97-1147, State of Minnesota v. Wayne Thomas Carter and Melvin Johns. At 11:00 a.m., arguments concluded and the case was submitted for judgment. Following are excerpts from the oral arguments of James C. Backstrom, attorney of record for the Petitioner, and Bradford Colbert, attorney of record for Melvin Johns. Questions are presented from the nine Supreme Court justices. Argument on Behalf of State of Minnesota QUESTION: Was there any testimony at all from the defendant in this case as to how long…
