Area seniors fill jury at Law Day trial
Published 3:17 am Wednesday, May 13, 2009
By By MaryClaire Foster
Senior students from three area schools traveled to Brewton Thursday to participate in the annual Law Day activities.
Each year all six of the high schools in the county are invited to the Escambia County Courthouse to learn the ins and outs of the local judicial system. The program has been in existence for more than 30 years.
Students from Atmore Christian School, Escambia County High School and Escambia Academy as well as Flomaton High School students, were given the opportunity to hear Alabama Supreme Court Associate Justice Lyn Stuart and Tom Methvin, president of the Alabama State Bar speak. They were also able to sit in on an actual trial decided on by a jury made up of some of the high schools’ seniors and converse about the trial with Circuit Judge Dave Jordan.
Stuart is an Atmore native and attended Escambia County High School.
Godwin said that the program is highly acclaimed both statewide and nationally, having received recognition from the American Bar Association and won several first place awards for bar achievement on the state level.
The program is divided into two days in order to be able to allow all the school’s participation. Those students participating in Thursday’s trial heard the case of a woman charged with driving under the influence and not wearing a seatbelt. The jury found her not guilty.