T.S. Cooley Elementary School third-graders held mock trials this week for “The Case of the Missing Puppy.” The courtroom was prepared, and the judge, prosecutor, defense attorney and jury were all in their places.
But there was one noticeable difference from a typical trial: All participants were children.
Students took on different roles as they worked to solve the case after previously learning about branches of government and aspects of a trial.
The facts of the fictitious case were that the Green family hired a child named Amanda to baby-sit their son, Mikey, and their puppy, Spot, for the day. They asked Amanda to play with their son, make lunch, and be sure Spot was tied up outside for fresh air and exercise.
While Amanda was preparing lunch, Spot tore his rope, broke free and ran away. The Green family blamed Amanda and asked for the cost of Spot.
The case proceeded and included testimony from both sides, as well as statements from witnesses, before proceeding to the jury for a verdict.
Victoria Alex was a judge for the trial and said, “Being a judge was so exciting, and it was interesting to learn about all of the different sides of a trial. But even though I liked being a judge and I enjoyed learning about how cases are handled I want to be a gymnast someday so that’s what I’m working toward as my future career.”
Teacher Aphra Kingsley said, “Most of the students already knew what a judge does and maybe a little bit about the legal profession. But to be able to learn about the entire court process was wonderful, and they learned so much.”
Brenna Bernhardt portrayed Amanda during the trial and said, “I knew for sure that I would be found innocent at the end of the case because I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong and I had done exactly what the Green family asked me to do. Learning so much about the court process was very interesting, but it’s not what I plan to do for a career. I want to be a marine biologist when I grow up because it’s a cool job, I love the ocean, and also there aren’t a lot of women biologists. But I’m going to be one.”
Colby Jackson portrayed a defense lawyer, and he said being “well-prepared for the case” made him proud. “My client was found innocent, and that was a great feeling and it made me feel like my hard work paid off,” he said. “I’m already thinking that I might want to be a defense lawyer when I grow up.”
After jury foreman Davin Washington stepped forward and in a clear voice announced that the jury had cleared Amanda, the trial was over. “I felt like I had a very important job,” Washington said. “Even though I want to be a scientist someday I really enjoyed this process, and it was cool to learn more about courtrooms, judges and attorneys.”
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