Fairmont Catholic School students get firsthand civics lesson from circuit court judge

Mar. 13—FAIRMONT — Lucy Sole, 8th grader at Fairmont Catholic School, got her first taste of what a future as a lawyer might look like Tuesday afternoon.

Marion County Circuit Court Judge David Janes hosted 7th and 8th grade students from the parochial school in his courtroom, taking time from his schedule to introduce them to the legal system.

When Janes asked the students who was interested in becoming a lawyer, Sole's hand shot up almost immediately.

"I really enjoyed the trip, it was very nice and organized very well," Sole said. "I enjoyed hearing from the judge and everything he had to say about everything he does and I thought it was really nice. It was kind of interesting. There's so many components that go into having a case that's fair and nice for everyone and just a lot. It's interesting."

Janes broached several topics, explaining jury selection, the role of a jury in deciding matters of fact versus a judge deciding matters of law, as well as the different roles each officer of the court plays during a trial.

To Janes, having the students in his courtroom was more than a chance to take a break from some of the more serious work that takes place. It also provided him with the opportunity to do something he considers essential, which is to instill the importance of civics within the next generation.

"I'm a big believer in the fact that everybody needs to know what their government is responsible for," Janes said. "I get people frequently tell me that somebody needs to be arrested or somebody's done something wrong. They think I'm part of the executive branch. They think I do arrests and investigations and that sort of thing. They don't really understand the role of the judiciary is being independent and impartial — being a decision maker instead of somebody who initiates a prosecution. There are a lot of adults that don't understand that."

Janes hoped to counterbalance the lack of civics education a little bit by having the students in his courtroom. Civics was a mandatory class when Janes was younger, he said, but he wasn't sure that was the case anymore. Curriculum has changed greatly throughout the decades. Still, learning about the function and role of government is important.

Diana Burnside, principal of Fairmont Catholic, brought up having the students visit the courtroom to Janes a few weeks ago. He agreed. Burnside said going to the courthouse is part of the school's efforts to give students exposure to many different types of occupations. Their prior three speakers from different fields had come to the school, so for the next one Burnside wanted to leave the school grounds. The courthouse was closeby and Judge Janes offered to host the students in his courtroom, so Burnside felt it was a logical next step. The subject matter was also relevant.

"It's important for students to know about the government, especially now with an election year," Burnside said. "How are laws made, who makes those laws, our branches of government. You can read about it, you can talk about it but until you actually experience it and meet a real judge, sit in a courtroom and you get that feeling. So, I think it'll be a forever memory."

Franchesca Aloi, social studies teacher at Fairmont Catholic, said going to the courthouse was inspiring for her students, experiencing it first hand can get students interested in this potential field. She agrees civics needs to be taught to more middle school students, even if the subject is broached in high school. Doing so impresses upon children from an early age what it means to be a good citizen, which includes knowing history, as well as both becoming familiar with and respecting the law.

Jackson Pethel, a 7th grade student, thought the trip was really cool. For him, it was definitely an eye opening experience. One piece of information particularly stuck out to him.

"[Janes] said something about, 'If he knows his friend, he doesn't want to do it to be fair,'" Pethel said. Pethel referred to Janes' explanation of recusal, which allows judges to remove themselves from a trial if they believe they can't be impartial or if an attorney challenges a judge assignment if they believe the judge will have a conflict of interest over the attorney's client.

Although Pethel has no interest in joining the legal field in the future, he still thought it was important to learn about, since doing so was a good way to stay out of trouble.

Janes is retiring at the end of the year. The visit the students paid to his courtroom could be among the last chances he has to encourage young people to understand and participate in their government. That's important to him, because that's part of the duties that come with the robe. Presiding over a court means much more than dispensing punishment.

"I hope I'm considered to be somebody who's been fair and impartial and treated people that come to the court with respect," Janes said. "That's what I promised to do when I ran for judge in 2000 and I think I've done a pretty good job of that. I hope that's what I'm remembered for."

Reach Esteban at efernandez@timeswv.com