Students Take in Court Proceedings at LaSalle
By Paul Gingras

LaSalle High School students watch the proceedings of the 92nd District Court Wednesday, April 25, at the school's gymnasium. Seated are (from left) a defendant, Judge Beth Gibson, clerk Mary Ann Mullins, and court reporter Kelly Moran. Seated at the table to the right is Fred Feleppa, Mackinac County prosecutor.

A serious atmosphere pervaded the LaSalle High School gymnasium Wednesday, April 25, when high school students heard the proceedings of the 92nd District Court. The cases, which involved criminal sexual conduct, window peeping, and drunk driving, were not specifically selected for the students. It was a regular day in court, the only difference being the location, said Judge Beth Gibson.

Following court, students engaged in a question and answer session with the judge and Mackinac County Prosecutor Fred Feleppa.

"It was very informative," said LaSalle senior Lewis Mullins. His mother works at the Court House, and he has seen proceedings there, but the school event demystified aspects of the judicial process for him and other students, he said.

Student Council president Allison Brown, also a senior, agreed. The event explained what happens to people in court for second or third offenses, she said. How the court system responds to repeat offenders was a focus of student questioning after the proceedings, she said.

One case involved a man in jail for repeated drunk driving. Another involved a woman caught driving while drunk in Mackinac County. While out on bond, she had received a separate drunk driving charge in Emmet County, outside

the local court's jurisdiction.

Mr. Mullins said leniency for first-time offenders is appropriate.

"Some people learn from their mistakes," he said, but something has to be done about repeat offenders, especially if they put others in danger.

"It was good for students to see that people do get caught," Miss Brown said. Understanding the consequences of their actions may make kids think before they act, she noted.

The first defendant on the docket was accused of having sexual intercourse with a girl between 13 and 16 years old, said Mary Ann Mullins, District Court clerk. Judge Gibson said the purpose of the arraignment was to advise him of the charges he faced and to explain that he could be incarcerated for up to 15 years.

He did not plead guilty or not guilty, because District Court does not process felony cases, Judge Gibson explained. As LaSalle students looked on, he was scheduled for a pre-trial conference at which the details of the case are examined. The matter will be decided by a higher court, the judge said.

The students also witnessed the sentencing of a defendant to 50 days in jail for "disorderly person, window peeping." The defendant pled guilty.

The third case involved a man accused of driving drunk for the second time. He was caught by Michigan State Police driving on a suspended license and received a minor in possession of alcohol charge. He pled guilty and received 180 days in jail.

Students witnessed a woman plead guilty to driving drunk. She was given the option of serving 30 days in jail with a $1,169 fine, or serving 93 days in jail with no fine.

The judge also issued a bench warrant for a defendant who did not appear in court.

Mr. Mullins and Miss Brown said the proceedings appeared to be fair. Several defendants asked for fines instead of jail sentences, but the court did not make special deals, they noted.

Proceedings were taken seriously by students, Miss Brown and Mr. Mullins said, pointing out misbehavior at student assemblies is common, but at this event, students behaved, paid attention, and wanted to know more. Mr. Mullins called it a "good function" that he hopes takes place at LaSalle every year.

Miss Brown said that seeing the full arsenal of the court contributed a stark sense of reality. The presence of the judge, the prosecutor, a State Police officer, the county sheriff, defendants in jail clothing, and a defendant with a lawyer, left an impression on them, she said.