Students create courtroom for school district

BY TALI ISRAELI
Staff Writer

Above, as the prosecuting attorney in a mock trial, Kathleen Negri gives her opening statement to a jury of Colts Neck High School students on March 7. Listening in on her comments are Judge Lawrence Lawson and attorney Christopher Placitella at the judges bench that was designed and built by Freehold Regional High School District students who are enrolled in an advanced cabinet-making class, and an architectural and technical drawing class. At right, playing the lead detective in the mock trial case, Colts Neck High School student Evan Preminger answered the prosecuting attorney's questions as he sat on a witness stand that was also designed and built by Freehold Township High School students. After 10 weeks of design and construction, students who are enrolled in an advanced cabinet-making class, and an architectural and technical drawing class, at Freehold Township High School unveiled a handmade courtroom.

The courtroom was unveiled at Colts Neck High School on March 7 and presented to students who are enrolled in the Freehold Regional High School District's Law and Public Service specialized learning center at Colts Neck.

PHOTOSBY SCOTT PILLING staff Jim Wilson, who teaches the cabinet-making class, said the idea to build courtroom furniture came from Colts Neck Principal Wayne McChesney and Joseph Robinson, an administrative supervisor for the FRHSD.

Wilson said it took students 10 weeks to design and construct the project, but the most interesting fact is that all of the furniture is portable, so all schools in the district can use it.

The project started with ideas and sketches from students enrolled in the cabinet-making class, which were then transferred to the architectural class for the design and drawings. After that was complete, Wilson said, the plans went back to the cabinet-making class for construction.

"It was a great design project ... It took us 10 weeks and we had a blast," Wilson said during the March 7 presentation.

Following the unveiling of the furniture, the students who are enrolled in the law and public service course presented a mock trial.

State Superior Court Assignment Judge Lawrence M. Lawson and attorney Christopher Placitella, who represents Colts Neck on the FRHSD Board of Education, participated in the trial as the two judges presiding over the case.

Students Kathleen Negri and Kenneth Cid played the attorneys for the defense and Laura Joseph and Michelle Tanen played the prosecuting attorneys. Witnes-ses were Jillian Halley, Dana Gansman, Patrick Fan, Evan Preminger, Johnathan Mondel and Britney DuPuis.

Holly Tracy, teacher of the law and public service class, said having the courtroom furniture allowed students to get a better sense of courtroom procedure. She believes the students may take the mock trial more seriously with the furniture in place because it lends itself to what a real trial is like.