Children explore the rule of law on Law Day
Law Day 2008, held Thursday, May 1 at the Old Courthouse in Downtown Dayton, featured the popular Courting Justice program designed by the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery’s Exhibits-To-Go. The program’s goals corresponded with this year’s Law Day theme, “The Rule of Law: Foundation for Communities of Opportunity and Equity.” Law Day focuses on the principle that a system based on broadly understood and stable laws, and competent and independent lawyers and judges is essential in sustaining a free society.
At Law Day, about thirty 4th grade students from McKinley Elementary in Xenia performed the “mock trial” portion of the program in which a trial is conducted to see if “Fox” is responsible for the disappearance of “Farmer Brown’s prized hen”. Through this interactive experience, students learned about the roles of prosecuting attorneys,
defendants, judges, bailiffs and more, while observing the impact of various legal mechanisms including testimony, evidence, a jury of peers and alibis. After the presentation, the Honorable Mary Katherine Huffman and Vipal Patel shared information with the students about trials, working in the legal system and their professional experiences.
Through interactive experiences, Courting Justice familiarizes youth with fundamental components of the legal process including the Miranda warnings, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the traditional adversarial style of trial. “Courting Justice links practical knowledge to textbook material, portrays the legal process in a realistic light and downplays the glamorized version of court proceedings and law enforcement depicted by popular television,” said Mark Meister, President and CEO of the Dayton Society of Natural History, the parent organization of the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery.
Courting Justice, sponsored by Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, LLP, and funded through the Estabrook Charitable Foundation, is one of 28 Exhibits-To-Go programs. “ Exhibits- To-Go targets subjects including cultural matters, health issues, scientific concepts and more,” said Susan Gastineau, Director of Exhibits-To-Go. “ They are designed to suit specific ages, although programs are offered to fit the needs of kindergarteners to senior citizens.” Exhibits-To-Go visits over 2,500 classrooms and impacts over 60,000 individuals in Southwest Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky every year.
To learn more about Courting Justice and other exciting Exhibits-To-Go programs, visit www.BoonshoftMuseum.org.