In the DA’s leadership academy, middle, high school, and undergraduate participants spend a week learning the ins and outs of the legal system, while coming up with the facts and evidence they’ll use to make their case at a mock trial. This is where they get to put all their new skills on display.
In this case, a team of seven defense attorneys sat across the aisle from six prosecutors, while their witnesses waited to take the stand.
Here's one teen's opening statement for the prosecution:
“Afternoon, your honor. Amanda Burch had finally escaped her previous relationship with the defendant Kyle Chestnut and began to rebuild her life with her dog, Kiwi, and a man she could finally trust. Unfortunately, this tranquility was brought to a sudden end when Kyle Chestnut entered Amanda Burch's residence by an open window and stole her dog Kiwi out of envy and anger.”
District Attorney Jason Smith said the leadership academy started under former DA Ben David, and has been going strong for years, describing the program as a week-long mix of civic and justice-related lessons.
“We start working with them on a factual basis, where they can begin to prep for their mock trials: opening statements, closing statements, examinations, cross-examinations, and legal or oral arguments,” Smith said.
Assistant District Attorney Bradley Setzer played the role of judge in this case, and noted how challenging it is to learn how to be a lawyer in just a week.
“Pretending to be a judge. It's very awkward sitting up here, just as awkward as maybe for you guys to do a trial,” Setzer said.
But one parent, Nicole Cargile, says her daughter Saraysia, a rising junior at Laney High School, plays a very convincing defense attorney despite the awkwardness.
“I've watched her over the past week that they've been participating in it," Cargile said. "And she’s got attorney written all over her. She fits right in from the inside to the outside, from head to toe, and everything. So she is wearing it and wearing it well.”
The strong closing arguments made on both sides showed exactly how much work the students put into preparing for the mock trial — which was also made evident from the mock verdict.
Judge Setzer found the defendant, Kyle Chestnut, played by Smith, guilty of misdemeanor larceny of a dog, but dropped the felony breaking and entering charge.
Though Chestnut may be locked up for a long time for stealing Kiwi, the teen attorneys were proud of the work they put in to get this case disposed.
At the closing ceremony, where all the students received a certificate of completion, Saraysia talked about how she felt the mock trial went and her overall experience with the Leadership Academy.
“It was kind of a tricky process, just jumping straight into it, but overall I feel like we all were able to come together for a very good case that held up, and we got one of his charges knocked off,” Saraysia said.
“There was a lot of times where we thought, like this case, we're not going to win this," she said. "[But] always believe in yourself, always know that there is a possibility to everything. Don't give up, because eventually you'll get it.”
Smith says any student in New Hanover County is welcome to participate in the program next year, whether they want to pursue a career in law or just want to learn more about how their criminal justice system works.
