Students learn about criminal court

RITZVILLE – Fifth-graders from Ritzville, Lind, Benge and Harrington sat in a real Adams County courtroom May 17 without suffering the angst of real prosecution.

It was Law Day. Students played roles as they read a script depicting a fictional case.

The judge, bailiff, prosecuting attorney, defendant, witness to the alleged crime and jury - all played roles in the trial. As in an actual criminal proceeding, the jury heard the evidence, lawyers made objections and deliberations took place in a separate room.

Adams County Superior Court Judge Peter Palubicki hosted the scripted trial.

On hand to guide and encourage youngsters were Palubicki, City Attorney John Kragt, District Court Judge Andrea Russell and two prosecuting attorneys-Robert Lehman and Daniel Eigler.

The mock case involved a defendant who allegedly stole a hat from a store in a shopping mall. A defense witness, one of the store cashiers, testified the defendant ran from the store carrying a hat with the sales tag still attached. A police officer later interviewed the defendant and her friend outside the store.

As laid out in the script, the defendant admitted she hadn't paid for the hat, but claimed she didn't intend to steal it. When the prosecution referenced a prior hat-stealing incident, the defense raised an objection. The judge sustained the objection and instructed the jury to disregard the statement.

Throughout the mock trial, youngsters sitting in the jury box followed the proceedings with interest.

Kragt later told the pupils: "This is the really nice thing about our country. A jury of your peers decides your guilt or innocence, not a judge."

He also laid out the distinction between civil and criminal trials.

"It's our job as prosecutors to bring cases we believe in," Lehman added. "I might be satisfied with a person's guilt, but I need to accumulate enough evidence to prove it."

The three fifth-grade groups worked their way through the same script, but juries came to different conclusions.

For example, the Ritzville jurors proclaimed the defendant guilty as charged; the Lind/Benge group couldn't agree, so a "hung jury" was declared.

Palubicki, who attended the jury deliberations, expressed satisfaction with the well-mannered behavior of the youngsters. He also noted that real jury deliberations are often more contentious.

When the mock trial concluded, students proceeded to the courthouse lawn to hear Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner and other law enforcement officials explain their roles in the community. The kids also examined and took seats in a police cruiser and a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle used for rescue operations.

A muzzled police canine named Nado - a mix of German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois - made an appearance, as well.

Each class lined up to pet the dog as its handler maintained a strong grip on the leash.