The courtroom is officially in use after construction wrapped up this past summer. 

The new mock courtroom set up allows for criminal justice teacher, Scarlett May, to teach her students what it would be like in a professional courtroom. Students are now able to learn when to stand, when to talk to a judge, along with many other aspects of court. 

“Just having more of the courtroom experience has made it a lot easier to teach,” May said.

Senior Alex Wright has found that the addition of the courtroom has provided more of a hands-on experience in the court classes, especially in his Court Systems class. 

“I enjoy it because I get to act it out,” Wright said. “I get to defend someone. I get to protect someone’s rights. I get to understand every aspect of the law.”

The courtroom has raised the bar for the class taking the lessons to a whole new level.

“A little bit intimidating just because it brings the whole class to a higher standard,” Wright said.

May has been able to utilize the courtroom in all of her different classes. Whether it be in her Principles of Law classes where they learn closing arguments or in her Court Systems class where they are able to do full mock trials. She has also found that the space the courtroom has provided her has benefitted all her classes.

“The room in general is bigger so I can do a lot more inside the room rather than going outside the classroom,” May said.

Junior Avalyn Day, the parliamentarian for the Criminal Justice Club, has loved the new courtroom. Not only does she find that the courtroom makes mock trials easier, but she also hopes that it will help to promote the Criminal Justice Club. 

“Maybe that will just get more people to join the club and get more people to know about it,” Day said.

Earlier in the year one of May’s Court Systems classes held their first mock trial in the new courtroom. By having a courtroom set up, May found that students wanted to play a role in the trial.

“Whether it was the judge, the bailiff, jury members, attorney, they were all more engaged and more involved than they had been in my other years,” May said.

Aside from the other mock trials May has planned for her classes throughout the year, she plans to use the courtroom alongside forensics teacher Tanya Johnston. 

At the end of the year, May plans to have her Principles of Law, Law Enforcement, Criminal Investigation and Court Systems classes collaborate with Johnston’s Forensics Class to work on a crime scene. The different classes will have different roles in the investigation such as; interviewing, looking for suspects, collecting evidence, testing the evidence and then holding the mock trial. 

“Each class has something special. Whether they’re interviewing, looking for suspects, collecting evidence, testing it and then doing the big mock trial,” May said. “It’ll be really cool.”

The addition of the courtroom has provided a positive experience all around for both students and staff.

“From everything they’ve said to me they are really excited about it,” May said. “So I haven’t heard anybody say anything negative about it.”

This story was originally published on Park Times on January 5, 2024.