Students Get Own Special Day in Court

Her sixth-grade classmates had a difficult decision to make: Did they believe 11-year-old Yvonne Jones’ story that she and her fiance didn’t know they were riding in a stolen car, and that when they found out they drove the vehicle back to the sheriff’s station?

Or was this Simi Elementary School student--who was participating in a make-believe trial--guilty of stealing the car?

In less than three minutes, an oversized jury of 16 delivered the verdict: not guilty.

It turned out that 10 of Yvonne’s classmates thought she had committed the misdemeanor, and six believed her tale Wednesday during a field trip to the Ventura County Courthouse in Ventura.

The result: a hung jury, which cleared this youngster’s name.

“It’s amazing that 10 people found me guilty,” said a relieved but annoyed Yvonne. “I don’t know how . . . after my story and [the California Highway Patrol officer’s] story was mixed up.

“They didn’t even dust for fingerprints.”

For 22 years, volunteers from the Ventura County Bar Assn. have directed schoolchildren on free tours of the county’s courts, said docent Peggy Purnell. Students read from scripts to reenact their roles in made-up misdemeanor crimes, monitor real trials, chat with judges and watch lawyers argue their cases.

“The best part about it is that it gives the kids real life exposure,” said sixth-grade teacher Terri Allen.

One of her students recognized a friend’s mother who was in the courthouse serving on a jury. “It showed that juries are made up of real people,” she said.

Before the mock trial, the class of 27 students posed questions to Municipal Judge Roland Purnell, Peggy’s husband.

“How much does a judge make?” they wanted to know. “Are there curtains around jail cell bathroom stalls?” “How long would you go to jail for a hit-and-run?”

Students were told often that it’s best to stay in school and avoid trouble--which could lead to harsh penalties under the legal system.

What else did the class learn?

“It’s hard being a judge,” said Ashley Harwell, who wore a black robe and played the ultimate arbiter during the phony auto theft trial.

“It’s weird sitting over everyone. I wouldn’t want to be one because of all the responsibility. I’d feel too guilty if someone who was innocent went to jail.”

For more information on taking a tour or becoming a docent, call the Ventura County Bar Assn. at 650-7599.