Students’ Legal Procedures On Trial At NMS

By Laurie Borst

Gifted and Talented students at Newtown Middle School have been learning about courtroom procedures this fall including participants: judge, bailiff, plaintiff, defense; and procedures: opening and closing arguments, cross examination, redirect.

Their teacher, Patrice Gans, has been preparing her students for the 10th Annual Middle School Mock Trial Competition sponsored by the Connecticut Consortium for Law and Citizenship Education, Inc.

On the afternoon of November 27, the students gathered in the media center to rehearse their “trial,” which will be presented during regional competition to be held on December 7 at Bethel High School.

The consortium provides all necessary information for the students. In this case, a middle school-aged student, Leslie Parker, is suing her local school board because of injuries she sustained during a science presentation claiming negligence on the part of the teacher, administrators, and district officials.

An 18-page document of Mock Trial Rules is provided as well as another document which lists a statement of facts, witnesses for the plaintiff, witnesses for the defense, causes of the action, stipulations, affidavits, evidence, applicable laws and possible defense strategies.

Students were assigned roles and have been practicing writing and presenting arguments, and drafting questions for witnesses as well as speaking to a group.  The students studied trial rules to learn about circumstances for objecting to a particular line of questioning.

Attorneys Mark Alexander and Sharon Elias brought their legal expertise to the classroom and have been coaching the students.

For information on the Connecticut Consortium for Law and Citizenship Education, Inc. and the programs that they sponsor, visit the website cclce.org.