LAS VEGAS – Students in the law magnet program at Canyon Springs High School will have a precedent setting opportunity to analyze a civil trial as the Eighth Judicial District Court brings its Short Trial Program to the school beginning at 8:30 a.m. December 7, 2007 in the Leadership and Law Preparatory Academy Courtroom of the high school at 350 East Alexander Road in North Las Vegas. The visit to Canyon Springs is a partnership between the Clark County Courts and the Clark County School District.
The Short Trial Program compresses trials into a one day process that aims to complete a jury trial quickly. The parties agree to spend no more than three hours per side to present their case to the jury. The jury is smaller, with three of four jurors required to reach a verdict.
“The Short Trial concept provides the perfect educational experience for students because it takes all the elements of a complex trial and distills it down into one day,†said Judge Timothy C. Williams, who will preside over Friday’s case. “The opportunity to show young people the legal process, and give them a first-hand experience, is a wonderful teaching tool for the District Court and the Clark County School District.â€Â
More than 600 students make up the Leadership and Law Preparatory Academy, which educates high school students on the basics of the American legal system and prepares them for leadership positions in their school and community. Students graduate with an Honors Diploma after taking classes focusing on economics, policy studies, political analysis and law.
“We are ecstatic that Judge Williams has offered our students this opportunity. It will be a great benefit to the law program and all of our students. We hope to continue this partnership in the future. I hope we can make it a permanent part of the curriculum because I know of no other high school in the country that can offer this type of educational experience to its students,†said Dr. Ronan Matthew, principal at Canyon Springs High School.
At the conclusion of the trial, students will be encouraged to visit with the attorneys, judge, marshal, court clerk, law clerk, court reporter to learn more about careers in the legal system. In addition, students will be able to question the jurors about their participation in the proceeding and why they reached a specific decision.
“By taking the Short Trial Program to Canyon Springs High School we essentially are bringing an existent court to the school and providing a learning experience,†said Alternative Dispute Resolution Commissioner Chris A. Beecroft Jr., who supervises the Short Trial Program. For instance, the court intends to further this partnership with the Clark County School District to include truancy and juvenile hearings. Other Short Trial cases are expected to return to Canyon Springs in the future.
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