Students in Political Science and Street Law classes recently took a field trip to the Winona County Courthouse to learn more about the inner workings of our legal system.
“We wanted students to see the Courthouse and judicial branch first-hand. The Courthouse is probably a building they see on a weekly basis downtown, but not a place they might go into,” Ms. Bockelman said.
“Being able to see where court proceedings actually happen can give more insight into how our justice system works. We spent pretty most of the time in Courtroom #1. This is the largest courtroom in the courthouse. The court administration supervisor gave us information about what happens at each area in the courthouse (jury box, witness stand, judge’s bench, etc.) and also allowed students to see the room that defendants are kept in, and are transported to via tunnel. before they enter the courtroom. Students also got to see the jury deliberation room.”
“In discussing the visit with students there was a lot of interest & a TON of questions that students continued to ask once we arrived back for class later that day. The trip led to a lot of great discussion,” Bockelman said.
“It was interesting to see how the courtroom is set up, from the holding cells, to the courtroom itself, and to see how a the operation works,” Tyler Sturm, a Cotter senior, said.
“We had to empty our pockets and go through a metal detector, like anyone entering the courthouse. We learned about the difference between civil and criminal cases and trials, and other things about how the system works,” Sari Johnson, a Cotter senior, said.
