The judicial system can be a daunting thing if you are not aware of how it works.  The attorneys in our firm do their best to inform you of procedures and explain the system to try and remove that fear and trepidation. Legal situations are often stressful enough on their own—you don’t need the added pressure of feeling uncomfortable walking in to a courtroom not knowing what will be behind the doors. Even the most avid Law & Order viewers hesitate before entering. We are here to walk you through the steps and guide you through the process as seamlessly as possible.

 

An elementary school in Farmington is also trying to teach their students about the legal system, but their methods are a little different from our own. The article listed below from the Deseret News relays their escapades.

 

“The plaintiff’s jaw dropped in shock as the jury’s verdict was read. “We, the jury, find the defendant, Curly Pig, not guilty of trying to cook the wolf,” jury foreman Megan Kasparian said Tuesday.

 

Big B. Wolf, who preferred the name “B.B.” and was brought to life by Aiden Lund, simply couldn’t believe that a jury made up of 16 of his fellow third-graders found that Curly Pig had not tried to kill him with a boiling pot of water.

 

“I felt angry,” Lund said. “I felt surprised.”

 

The verdict came after a mock trial held in the courtroom of 2nd District Judge Thomas L. Kay. Kay presided over the proceeding — which included every third-grade class at Endeavour Elementary School — just as he has done for the past 13 years.

 

“It’s probably the first time they’ve ever been in the courtroom, ever seen a judge,” Kay said. “To have them see what’s going on here is a really remarkable thing.”

 

The judge largely got involved thanks to his wife, Kathy, who teaches third grade at Endeavour and organizes the students into their various roles. She said the trial is a great learning experience for the children. “It’s part of our curriculum,” she said. “We teach government and what better way to teach it than to have hands-on experience with it?”

 

Though the trial was largely scripted, the students took their roles seriously and the jury’s verdict is solely the decision of the students. Kathy Kay said it was a close call this year. In other years, the case has gone in favor of the wolf. Even Mya Bland, who played Curly Pig, wasn’t sure what to think about the verdict. “I don’t know,” she said. “I think I’m not guilty, but I think it’s weird the (recipe) book was open to ‘Poached Wolf.’”

 

Mr. Wolf’s attorney, Halle Preece, said the boiling cauldron of water and a cookbook turned to a page featuring a Poached Wolf recipe pointed to Curly Pig’s guilt when it came to the charge of attempted wolf cooking. But Ms. Pig’s attorney, Brynn Wilson, called the charge “ridiculous” and pointed to the wolf’s history of killing the pig’s siblings. “Ms. Pig was merely protecting her home and her life,” Wilson said.

 

It was quite a scene: The children using step stools to reach the podium, the solemnity with which they took the oath to tell the truth and the way Lund would roll his eyes every time he heard, “I’m going to huff and puff and blow your house down.”

 

“I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t enjoy it,” the judge said. Wilson relished in the role. She pounded forcefully on the table when she had an objection and celebrated in the verdict. “It was all just really fun,” she said afterward. “It felt awesome.” She added that she actually hopes to be an attorney one day.

 

“It’s a good experience for the students to see the court in action,” Kathy Kay said. “It’s good for them to have that.” The experience included more than just the trial, as the judge began by explaining the Bill of Rights to the children and explained the concept behind double jeopardy.

“If Curly Pig is found innocent or guilty, she can’t be tried twice,” Kay explained.

 

He took questions from the students and even compared them to cases he’s faced in the past and to those currently in the court system. He also fielded a healthy number of “what if” questions about people sneaking guns into the courtroom before concluding. “Don’t use guns, don’t use knives,” he told the students. “The best you can do is do well in school and listen to your Mom and Dad and you’ll be fine.””

 

 

For original article go to: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865552558/Students-learn-court-system-through-trial-of-Big-Bad-Wolf.html?pg=2

 

Happy St. Patty’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, so we thought we would share a rather unusual news story about how some cities celebrate the holiday.  Come Las Vegas police officers have been dressing up as leprechauns all week to try and enforce pedestrian crossing regulations.  Anyone who has been to the strip knows that it is crowded with people—both in cars and on foot.  In order to help protect those who aren’t protected by a vehicle, police officers will be crossing ‘under cover’ in costume to help ensure that visitors can cross streets safely. The article can be found below.

With St. Patrick’s Day coming this weekend, Las Vegas Metro police are employing the use of green-clad “leprechaun” officers in an all-day pedestrian enforcement sting.

Metro started conducting the enforcement detail Tuesday morning at crosswalk locations throughout Las Vegas.

Despite the unusual use of costuming an officer crossing the street, Metro is pointing at the all-too real consequences of vehicle collisions with pedestrians.

Metro said the green should give drivers every opportunity to see the officer and yield to him.

Metro Officer Michael Lemley has served as a costumed officer in the past.

“Yield rates in December when Santa took to the crosswalk were the highest ever, and our goal is education, not citation, so we’re actually happy when everyone stops,” Officer Lemley said.

Lemley also served as “Officer Butterball” during the Thanksgiving week enforcement last year.

Metro police said the model of the enforcement stemmed from those used in Washington State, where traditional enforcement was not working.

Police said Clark County has seen a 50 percent rise in automobile fatalities, including those involving pedestrians. Police say they want to take every opportunity to save lives and educate all road users.

Metro also is focusing on speeding as drivers have less reaction time to stop before they hit a pedestrian.

According to police, about 85 percent of those hit by a vehicle at 15 mph survive. For a vehicle speeding at 40 mph, about 85 percent of those hit will die.

Do events like these convince you that much is being done to keep pedestrians safe? What do you think?

To link to original article: http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/17138798/leprechaun-to-be-used-in-pedestrian-enforcement?hpt=ju_bn6