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 La Mirada~Fifth grade students at Foster Road Elementary recently conducted a "mock" trial at Norwalk Superior Court as part of the Project L.E.A.D. program (Legal Enrichment And Decision-making).
The program is offered by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office and teaches students at different schools to recognize the legal and social consequences of gangs, drugs, truancy and other crimes.
Deputy district attorneys, investigators, field deputies, hearing officers, paralegals and law clerks all over LA County devote one hour a week to serve as role models and teach students about the criminal justice system.
For the last five years in n La Mirada, the program has been headed by County Deputy District Attorney Cristine Albanese and Deputy Probation Officer Darryl Harris, both of whom are contracted out by the city as employees, and are based at the La Mirada Sheriff's Station.
They each volunteer one hour a week to the fifth graders and teach a 20-week curriculum covering issues such as school bullying, truancy, shoplifting, decision-making and culminating with the trial at the end of the school year. The "trial" was held in Judge Margaret Bernal's courtroom, with the students filling all the roles in a courtroom, including a jury, with a verdict.
The students also learn about all the different people that work in a courthouse.
During this past school year, the students also went on a behind-the-scenes field trip to Juvenile Hall.
Albanese says that the program teaches the kids,"practical life skills and to make good decisions". She noted that the program is so successful at Foster Road because of the support of the principal, Dr. Jean Maddux, and the City of La Mirada.
Photos: Above, "Judge" Raewyn Groak, student at Foster Road Elementary School, makes a ruling. Left, Prosecutors and Defenders mull over their notes, while the jury and Teacher Kim Clarkson look on.
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