BY KEITH LACEY
The verdict is in. Grade 12 law class students from Lockerby Composite School are guilty of doing a wonderful job of showcasing their talents under tremendous pressure.
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A dozen law class students, accompanied by two dozen other student helpers, participated in two Â?mock trialsÂ? inside the pristine Courtroom A of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice last week at the Sudbury courthouse.
Dressed for their roles, students played the accused, Crown and defence counsel, witnesses and
jurors.
Justice Patricia Hennessy and Justice Randall Lalande presided as two mock trials were held on
charges against a woman accused of robbing a downtown bank, uttering death threats and
possessing property obtained by crime.
Both Hennessy and Lalande ruled there was insufficient evidence to convict the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.
Sudbury assistant Crown attorney Philip Zylberberg, who was impressed by the hard work and professionalism shown by all the students, said the verdict was just based on the evidence
presented.
The mock trials are part of a project by SudburyÂ?s legal community to increase public awareness, particularly among young people, of how CanadaÂ?s justice system works, said Zylberberg.
Â?The facts were designed to make the obtaining of a conviction difficult, despite the fact most people would think the accused was probably guilty,Â? said Zylberberg. Â?Our system is based on finding guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The students did an outstanding job leaving the judges with no alternative but to find a verdict of not guilty based on all the evidence before them.Â?
It took three months of hard work by Lockerby teacher Shari Blasutti and her students to pull this off, he said.
Â?The idea is to give students a close look at the process so it will demystify the legal process for them,Â? he said. Â?The students did an outstanding job. I was impressed. They presented their case in a fashion no worse than many of my colleagues and better than I often do.Â?
Presenting a full trial with a real judge making honest decisions is a great way to show students how the system is designed to work.
Â?The biggest thing I hope the students will get from this is that if you come to court and watch what weÂ?re all doing, is just how serious this is,Â? said Zylberberg. Â?WeÂ?re not here to fool around, but to deal with serious matters with serious consequences and ultimately attempt to get to the truth so justice can be dispensed properly.Â?
Blasutti couldnÂ?t say enough good things about the performance and hard work put in by all of the students involved.
Â?I was truly amazed at how well they did,Â? she said. Â?There was a lot of pressure, but they had a wonderful time.Â?
Holding the trials in a real courtroom in front of experienced judges was a thrill for the students, she
said.
Â?Both judges were very diplomatic, constructive and not intimidating in any way,Â? she said. Â?ItÂ?s my
opinion the students probably learned more in one day than they would in an entire year of law class.Â?
Hennessy said this project was part of a province-wide initiative sponsored by the Chief Justices of Ontario. SheÂ?s the northeastern Ontario representative.
It took more than three months of hard work by the students and volunteers from SudburyÂ?s legal community to pull everything off.
All the lawyers involved deserve credit for their dedication.
Â?These students were given a tremendous opportunity to learn from professionals who perform
these task on a day-to-day basis,Â? she said. Â?I was so impressed with their enthusiasm, ability and passion. I would honestly hope a number of them are now considering a career in law because they are definitely well-suited for it.Â?
There is now a province-wide mock trial competition among high schools and Hennessy hopes more Sudbury schools and students will want to get involved now.
Â?ItÂ?s obvious thereÂ?s great talent here in Sudbury and thereÂ?s no reason we wouldnÂ?t do well in a
provincial competition,Â? she said.
