from staff
Sabal Palm Elementary students gained real courtroom experience by participating in a mock trial Friday at the Courthouse, a project sponsored by the D.W. Perkins Bar Association.
“Educating our youth by giving them positive exposure to our legal system furthers our mission of providing public service to the community,” said Christopher Davis, president of the Perkins Bar.
More than a dozen 4th graders from Sabal Palm Elementary School participated in a mock trial — Humpty Dumpty vs. Sherman King — which was presided over by County Court Judge Pauline Drayton.
Students assumed the roles of plaintiffs, defendants, jurors and attorneys in a personal injury case involving the entertainer, Humpty Dumpty, and Sherman King, an auto dealer who hired the entertainer to sit on a wall to promote his business, when the entertainer fell and became injured. The trial was selected from the American Bar Association database with the children’s age in mind.
“Students will gain valuable exposure to the court system. It is our hope this educational program will positively influence children to inspire future lawyers or jurors who may be called to serve on a jury someday,” said attorney Sharletta Roberts, an organizer of the mock trial and Perkins Bar member.
Friday’s mock trail was the second of two sponsored by the Perkins Bar during Law Week. The first, involving 5th graders from the St. Clair Evans Academy, took place May 1.