PHOTO #1: Municipal Court Judge Vanessa Heinold, right, assists with a field sobriety demonstration Nov. 19 in Mrs. Covington’s eighth-grade class. Students attempted to perform different tasks while wearing impairment goggles to learn about the dangers of impaired driving. Photo provided by Nazareth Academy.
PHOTO #2: A student attempts to complete a field sobriety task while wearing impairment goggles Nov. 19 in Mrs. Covington’s eighth-grade class.
The City of Victoria Municipal Court will host a mock trial at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 15 in the municipal courtroom at 107 W. Juan Linn St. featuring eighth-grade students from Nazareth Academy.
The mock trial is open to in-person attendance by the public. The trial will also be livestreamed on Facebook at City of Victoria Municipal Court.
The students will split into two groups to conduct two separate trials, with the second trial expected to begin at approximately 10:30 a.m. Both trials are based on the fictional case of a juvenile suspected of driving with alcohol in his system.
“These kids have worked hard, and I’m very excited to see the results,” said Municipal Court Judge Vanessa Heinold.
In preparation for the mock trial, Heinold has been visiting the students twice a week since October to teach them about court proceedings. Victoria Police Department Officers Emily Erickson and John Edwards also visited to teach the students about field sobriety tests and conduct hands-on activities using impairment goggles.
To learn more about Municipal Court programs, visit www.victoriatx.gov/municipalcourt. To partner with the court for an educational event, visit www.victoriatx.gov/courtoutreach.