OXFORD, Miss. — Forty fourth-graders from Lafayette
Elementary School witnessed a staged crime and court trial
during their trip to the University of Mississippi School
of Law Wednesday (March 26).
The bogus crime, a thief snatching a purse from the lectern
in the William N. Ethridge Jr. Moot Courtroom where the
program was held, took place in front of the student
assembly and interrupted Tom Clancy’s presentation about
what lawyers do on a daily basis. Clancy, professor and
director of the National Center for Justice and the Rule of
Law, coordinated the program.
Poindexter Barnes, NCJRL network administrator, playing the
role of a policeman soon apprehended a suspect and a trial
commenced.
The annual program called “The Fourth Grade Initiative” is
an effort by the NCJRL to explain the legal profession to
young students and to educate them on the roles of
different legal professionals such as prosecutors, defense
attorneys and judges. Students from Jan Mays and Vicky
Swindoll’s classes attended the morning program.
Nine students from the classes were selected as jury
members. After hearing testimony from the victim, Barnes
and two student witnesses, a guilty verdict was returned.
Other NCJRL staff featured in the skit and their roles were
former judge Don Mason, associate director, judge; former
prosecutor Hans Sinha, clinical professor and director of
prosecutorial internships, prosecutor; and former defense
attorney Philip Broadhead, clinical professor and director
of clinical appeals, defense counsel.
Anne Claire Bufkin, 10, one of the fourth-graders who
served on the jury, said the jury decision was reached
because of the fingerprint and DNA evidence presented
linking the defendant and the stolen purse.
“It taught me that you have to be really careful about what
you say and you have to listen carefully to decide what the
truth is,” she said.
Student Keyuna Howard, 10, said the program furthered her
desire to become a lawyer. “I’d like to be a lawyer because
they teach important things,” she said.
Mays said it was a great opportunity for her students to
see how the justice system works as opposed to just
discussing it in class.
“They had a great time, and they really got that real-world
experience of being in a courtroom,” she said. “We’ve been
talking about state government and how governments are
formed in class, and I heard one of the students say they
remembered some of the things from class. So, I think it
was a really good way to reinforce what they are learning.”
The program has been going on for several years, Clancy
said. “It is a wonderful opportunity for the center to give
young students some insight into the many roles that
lawyers have and a snapshot of how the criminal justice
system works,” he said.
For more information on the National Center for Justice and
the Rule of Law, visit http://www.ncjrl.org. For more
information on the School of Law, visit
http://www.law.olemiss.edu.