Students learn the ins and outs of justice

Date: 11/24/2008

By Natasha Clark

Assistant Managing Editor



EAST LONGMEADOW East Longmeadow High School (ELHS) students faced the law last Wednesday. Thanks to the Open Doors to Federal Courts program, on Nov. 19 high schoolers spent the day at the new $63 million Springfield Federal Courthouse.

This year's theme, "Texting While Driving: Today's Decisions Can Have Legal and Long-Term Consequences," exposed students of ELHS teacher Eric Ezer's Law I class to court proceedings by allowing them to participate in a mock civil suit about a car crash that may have been caused by texting while driving.

Attorney Nathan A. Olin, coordinator and adapter of this year's Springfield program, said Open Doors is a national program that the city has participated in for seven years. Each year a different high school is selected to participate in the program. He said the day's agenda was crafted with a focus on jury service and legal issues in mind. The mock trial was presided over by real federal judge Chief Magistrate Judge Kenneth P. Neiman and attorneys coach student lawyers at the counsel tables. A script is also used to keep proceedings flowing. Other students act as jurors or witnesses in the court proceedings.

Adriana Brooks and Jennifer Cokotis, who acted as counsel for the plaintiff and defendant respectively, gave rave reviews to the program.

"I recommend it to high schools that get chosen," Brooks said.

Besides the trial, students were granted a tour of the new courthouse, provided a lunch and after answering a questionnaire, participated in a question and answer period with probation officer Richard Rinaldi. He spoke with students about familiarizing themselves with the laws and knowing basic protocols for paying things such as parking tickets and the dangers of illegal activities on the Internet.

Rinaldi told students even those in law enforcement are not exempt from the laws of the land.

"All of us serve the public and we are held to a higher standard and rightfully so," Rinaldi said.