WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

CHARLESTON – Students from Kanawha, Marion, Roane and Wayne counties will visit the state Supreme Court of Appeals in the coming weeks as part of the West Virginia Law Adventure program.

Each of the school groups won a category of the mock trial competition.

* Wednesday, April 22: Students from Stonewall Jackson Middle School in Kanawha County (middle school combined grade winner) will observe the Supreme Court Argument Docket.

* Tuesday, April 28: Students from East Fairmont High School in Marion County (high School 12th-grade winner) will tour the Supreme Court at 9 a.m. and listen to a presentation about court history.

* Tuesday, May 12: Students from Roane-Jackson Technical School (high school combined grades winner) and Prichard Elementary School in Wayne County (fifth-grade winner) will observe the Supreme Court Argument Docket.

The Supreme Court’s West Virginia Law Adventure mock trial program requires participating classes to write their own scripts based on one of three criminal case scenarios, which change each year.

The case scenarios are written by the Young Lawyers Section of the West Virginia State Bar. Each participating class must act out its script in front of a judicial officer – a magistrate, family court judge or circuit judge – before sending in its entry.

Winners in each category are invited to watch the Supreme Court in action. Due to a scheduling conflict, East Fairmont High students are not able to attend a court session this year.

Students’ trips to local courthouses and the Supreme Court are paid for by a grant from the West Virginia Bar Foundation. West Virginia Law Adventure is one of several civics projects of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Others include Marble Monday trivia on Twitter @WVcourts, Robes to Schools and LAWS (Legal Advancement of West Virginia Students).

To learn more about the Court’s civics projects, visit http://www.courtswv.gov/public-resources/student-resources/index.html.