The Courtroom to Classroom program has returned in full force, as more than 200 fifth graders from East Side Elementary visited Cobb Superior Court on Nov. 4, 2022.

During the program, students perform a scripted mock trial and decide whether “Jaime Joyride” is guilty of stealing bicycles from a store. Jurors are pictured taking the oath before trial.

Superior Court Judges Kellie S. Hill and Jason D. Marbutt each presided over two mock trial sessions on Nov. 4. While jurors were deliberating, the judges took questions from the other students about the court system and various jobs in and around the courthouse. 

Deputies from the Cobb Sheriff’s Office’s Community Engagement Unit also showed the students some tools used to keep the community safe, including bicycle and trike patrol units.

East Side was the fourth elementary school to visit this semester. The mock trial program is appropriate for fourth- or fifth-grade groups and is offered as courtroom space allows. Limited dates are available for spring 2023.