Students learn about Day in Court

By WILL STEWART / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Crime prevention, the National Exchange Club believes, should be more than locking windows and doors. Ideally, it should include an early and fundamental understanding of how the criminal justice system works.

In keeping with the national organization’s emphasis, the McMinnville Evening Exchange Club has for a number of years sponsored “My Day in Court,” a program which gives Warren County Middle School sixth-graders a first-hand look at how the law is administered locally.

The program is limited to sixth-graders as it is this age group whose members, most likely, have not yet had any altercations with the law, while at the same time being old enough to understand the courtroom drama and the consequences of their actions.

The sixth-graders recently attended a juvenile court session of Judge Larry Ross. After attending the session, each student was invited to write an essay about his or her experiences in court. The essays were then reviewed by a panel of club members, who picked two winners.

This year’s winners are Lacy Pack, granddaughter of Ken and Nona Martin, and Kayla Ortega, daughter of Don and Peggy Webster. These students, along with their parents, were honored at a recent club meeting.

PHOTO INFO:
Middle school sixth-graders Lacy Pack, second from left, and Kayla Ortega, third from left, were chosen as winners in the Evening Exchange Club’s My Day Court essay contest. Seen with the girls are, from left, teacher Becky Maynard, Exchange Club member Jim Glenn and teacher Alan Brownyard. (Will Stewart photo)