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FULTON BACK TO SCHOOL PICNIC

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August 13, 2016

5:00pm - 7:00pm

1626 Smirl Drive

Heath, TX 75032

August 13, 2016

5:00pm - 7:00pm

1626 Smirl Drive

Heath, TX 75032

GOOD THINKING

11

Back to School Edition 2016

BlueRibbonNews.com

A group of local home school students 
began the summer loaded with a wealth of 
knowledge of the legal system after having 
the exciting opportunity to conduct a mock 
trial inside the historic courthouse  
in downtown Rockwall. 

As part of their analytical, rhetorical, 
and debate studies, teams from two local 
home school communities – the Classical 
Conversations Challenge B programs 
from the Mesquite and Terrell campuses –  
stepped into the roles of prosecutor, defense 
attorney and testifying witnesses in a mock 
trial that saw Justice Craig Stoddart of the 
Fifth Court of Appeals preside over the case. 
The trial involved a dog owner charged 
with murder and possession of a dangerous 
animal after his dog attacked a teenager. 

About half of the kids (ages 13-15) 
who participated in the mock trial are 
from Rockwall and attend the Mesquite 
campus, as there are currently no Classical 
Conversations homeschool groups for those 
levels yet in Rockwall. Six parents served as 
jurors, and Justice Stoddart provided 
critiques for each student and general

feedback to build the students’ skills. 
The community directors and students spent 
the spring semester in preparation for the 
trial, which included opening and closing 
statements, direct and cross examination of 
witnesses, and basic evidentiary objections. 

In the Classical Conversations Challenge 
B program, students hone their research, 
writing and presentation skills through the 
study of current events and the history of 
science. During the second semester, they 
are asked to put all the skills and knowledge 
they learned in the first semester into 
practice in a mock trial before a judge  
and jury, relying on their own preparation 
and teamwork to argue their case.

Classical Conversations student Mary 
Claire Weible of Rockwall said the 
experience taught her a lot about the legal 
system. During the trial, Mary wrote 
her own closing statement as a defense 
attorney, cross and direct examine various 
witnesses portrayed by her fellow students, 
and even had the opportunity to play a 
witness for the prosecution when the 
teams switched sides. 

“The thing I enjoyed most about the 
mock trial experience was expanding my 
knowledge of the legal system, and I loved 
the acting it allowed me to do,” Mary said. 
“Justice Stoddart was enthusiastic about 
the trial throughout the day, he was patient 
when we had questions, and he took he  
time to help us really understand the 
process of a criminal trial.”

Although she does not plan to pursue law  
as a career, Mary said she wants to continue 
to expand her knowledge of the subject.

“I find it very interesting, and I plan to 
continue to broaden my understanding 
of law,” she said. 

Following the trial, Justice Stoddart guided 
the students on a tour of the old Rockwall 
County Jail on the top floor of the historic 
courthouse.

Story by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News 
editor. Photos provided by parents of 
participating students.

Mock trial provides fun, practical way 

for home school students to study law

Front row: Parker Yarbrough, Justice S, James Newlin. Back row: Mary Claire Weible, 

Charles Russell, Justice Craig Stoddart, Roman Hill, Abigail Hoyle