Classroom serves as courtroom

By Emily Richmond

Tuesday, March 3, 2009 | 2 a.m.

During a tour of Canyon Springs High School a few years ago, District Judge Timothy Williams was shown a full-scale courtroom where students in the school’s legal career magnet program participated in mock trials.

How about using it for real trials? the judge suggested.

Williams presided over the first such trial last year and was back on the bench at the North Las Vegas campus on Feb. 20.

The school’s courtroom is indistinguishable from others in Clark County — the same jury box, witness stand and judge’s bench — with one exception. The rows of seats for the audience have built-in desks.

Canyon Springs is believed to be the only high school in the nation to host a real trial, said Christine Rush, a teacher in the law program.

“This is a way to let students know that if you have a dispute or conflict, there are appropriate ways to resolve it,” Williams said.

The program is a rebuttal to those who explain the Clark County School District’s dropout rate by saying students find little at school to engage and prepare them for the challenges they will face after graduation.

In its fifth year, Canyon Springs’ Leadership and Law Preparatory Academy, which draws students from throughout the district, steers students toward higher education programs in law, public service and global studies.

For Nicholas Correll, a junior, observing the trial was a chance to see classroom lessons play out with real implications — from jury selection to opening statements to cross-examination of witnesses.

“It’s great that a high school gets to participate like this,” said Correll, who wants to specialize in medical law. “We’re lucky.”

The case involved a man who claimed he was injured when another driver on Maryland Parkway hit his car. The defendant, a teacher at a local middle school, said she hit her brakes to avoid a chain reaction set off by pedestrians darting into the street. The plaintiff swerved suddenly into her lane, causing the collision, according to the defendant.

While the 12 candidates for the four-person jury answered lawyers’ questions about their experiences with the legal system, 40 students listened intently.

During a break in jury selection, Canyon Springs seniors Alice Hernandez and Mariah Mason compared notes. They agreed that one potential juror, a teacher who had been a defendant in a personal injury case, would be excused.

“Too much sympathy for the defendant,” said Hernandez, who plans to attend UNLV. “If I was the plaintiff, I’d be worried.”

Mason was equally sure another prospective juror wouldn’t end up serving. The man’s comments about his experience with a lawsuit suggested a bias toward the plaintiff, she said.

Hernandez and Mason were right. Both of their choices were excused.

The case was part of the “short jury trial” program in which both parties in a civil dispute agree to limit the proceedings to one day. Clocks ticked down the time spent arguing the case — each side agreed to spend no more than three hours.

At the end of the day, the verdict came down in favor of the defendant — she was found not at fault in the crash.

Attorney Janelle LaVigne, who represented the plaintiff, said she was hesitant when told the trial would be held at a high school.

“I wasn’t sure how attentive and interested the students would be,” said LaVigne, who is with the Las Vegas firm Gage & Gage. “In reality, they were extremely well behaved, and afterward in discussions with them I was impressed by how closely they were actually following the evidence. Some of us have ideas about teenagers — this was an eye-opening experience.”