Welcome Guest Blogger, Ms. Swan

I loved attending the Mock Trial as staged by our students in Ms. Swan’s class! They were all well prepared, attentive and in some cases, passionate about the case. Great job RCS Students–thank you Mrs. Hoene for your continued support.

Consider this our first guest blog post by our esteemed colleague and social studies teacher, Ms. Swan.  I’ll let Ms. Swan tell the tale:

Each year our law class culminates with a mock trial.  The mock trial is designed to introduce students to our legal system by providing a challenging, academic competition. The program offers students an opportunity for personal growth and achievement, emphasizing the importance of research, presentation, and teamwork.  This year we chose a murder trial. The defendant was accused of killing a former employee who happened to be homeless.  Students spent several weeks preparing for the trial.  They were given only affidavits of all witness and specific evidence they could use in the trial.  They were responsible for creating all of the questions for the witnesses as well as opening and closing statements. 

In addition to teaching students about contemporary public issues and the legal system, the program encourages teachers and students to develop learning partnerships with professionals from the community. Jay Carr, a local attorney, visited the class several times to aid students in preparing direct and cross examination questions as well as aiding them in creating their opening and closing statements.  We also visited the Cattaraugus County building where we toured the sheriff’s department, the 911 center and the records office.  We spent a portion of the day in court and students could actually witness the running and procedures in a courtroom setting.

We turned room 304 into our courtroom and invited retired RCS social studies teacher Sheila Hoene to be our judge.  She did a great job and we couldn’t do this without her.  Students dressed for their roles and court began. Students delivered their opening statements and called their witnesses. In the end our jury found the defendant not guilty.