PHOTO: City of Victoria Municipal Court Judge Vanessa Heinold addresses Trinity Episcopal School eighth-grade students during a mock trial Nov. 5, 2020, at the municipal courtroom.
The City of Victoria Municipal Court will host a mock trial at 9 a.m. Nov. 3 in the municipal courtroom at 107 W. Juan Linn St. featuring eighth-grade students from Trinity Episcopal School.
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 class will split into two groups to conduct two separate trials, with the second trial expected to begin at approximately 10 a.m. Both trials are based on the fictional case of a juvenile suspected of driving with alcohol in his system.
“The mock trial program helps to bring together concepts that these students are learning in school while teaching them about the court system and traffic safety,” said Municipal Court Judge Vanessa Heinold. “I’m grateful to be able to partner with our local schools to teach these important lessons.”
In preparation for the mock trial, Heinold visited the class twice a week for the past four weeks to teach students about court proceedings. Victoria Police Department Officer Emily Erickson and Officer Jake Garza also visited to teach the students about field sobriety tests and conduct hands-on activities using impairment goggles.
The court will also host a mock trial in partnership with Nazareth Academy in December.
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.