Bath students learn judicial system at mock trial

LIMA — Eli Ripley’s fate was in the hands of his peers.

And those peers? They’re third-graders at Bath Local Schools. And they did Eli a solid on Wednesday, finding him not guilty of stealing basketball cards with an alleged value of $450.

If the scenario sounds a little convoluted … well, it kinda was. But it was all in fun as students in the third-grade classes of Holly Protsman and Chelsea McNary staged a mock trial in the Lima courtroom of Judge David Cheney.

The “victim” in the case was Emily Benjamin, who said the defendant had stolen her basketball cards — including cardboard depictions of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James — during a visit to her home. “Prosecutor” Gwyn Foust presented the case on behalf of the victim. The defendant was represented by “attorney” Madilyn Steiner.

After a brief question-and-answer session conducted by Judge Cheney, the students staged their own trial. Jurors went off to deliberate and returned in short order … with a split verdict. The jury, it seemed, was hung.

As is often the case in a real trial, the judge ordered them back to deliberate further. The second verdict, a unanimous one, left the “defendant” a free man.

It was all in fun, and a good time seemed to be had by all involved.

“I don’t get to have fun in this courtroom very often, but today I had fun,” Cheney told the students while offering up a big smile.

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J Swygart | The Lima News Emily Benjamin, left, and Gwyn Foust were two of the third-grade students from Bath Local Schools to take part in a mock trial Wednesday in Allen County Common Pleas Court. The defendant in the trial was found not guilty of stealing Miss Benjamin’s basketball cards.

http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2018/04/web1_Mock-trial-prosecutor.jpgJ Swygart | The Lima News Emily Benjamin, left, and Gwyn Foust were two of the third-grade students from Bath Local Schools to take part in a mock trial Wednesday in Allen County Common Pleas Court. The defendant in the trial was found not guilty of stealing Miss Benjamin’s basketball cards.

J Swygart | The Lima News Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge David Cheney had fun with students from Bath Local Schools on Wednesday during a mock trial. Students took the roles of victim, defendant, attorneys and jurors in the exercise that was both fun and educational.

http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2018/04/web1_Mock-trial-Cheney.jpgJ Swygart | The Lima News Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge David Cheney had fun with students from Bath Local Schools on Wednesday during a mock trial. Students took the roles of victim, defendant, attorneys and jurors in the exercise that was both fun and educational.

J Swygart | The Lima New After at first failing to reach a verdict, a group of "jurors" from Bath Local Schools found their classmate not guilty of theft as part of a mock trial held Wednesday in Allen County Common Pleas Court.

http://www.limaohio.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2018/04/web1_Mock-trial-Jurors.jpgJ Swygart | The Lima New After at first failing to reach a verdict, a group of "jurors" from Bath Local Schools found their classmate not guilty of theft as part of a mock trial held Wednesday in Allen County Common Pleas Court.