Court Camp is Lubbock’s first week-long summer program that gives local high school students an inside look into the legal system and teaches them the entire process of a case going to trail.
Lubbock County Judge Ann-Marie Carruth, Justice of the Peace for Precinct 4 created this camp to give an opportunity to students aspiring to have a career in the justice system.
“There have been a variety of activities, events, and speakers,” Carruth said. “They have taken a courthouse tour and learned every functioning part of a courtroom. The bailiffs role, the court reporter’s role, the prosecutor’s role, and everybody who plays a part in that.”
The camp started Monday, June 18 and concluded Friday afternoon with a mock homicide trial inside the Hunt Courtroom at the Texas tech University School of Law building.
“We went to the jail one time, we toured it,” Lubbock High School Student Andrew Ibrahim said. “We got to see how prisoners are being taken care of. Then we got to meet so many different lawyers who just showed us the courthouse, what they do here, the process they have to do to convict someone or jail someone, and just got to learn more in general.”
Friday, students were divided into two teams, defense and prosecution, and presented their cases to Carruth in a mock trial.
Most students said they already had an interest in becoming a lawyer, however, some said they were surprised to learn of the different jobs it takes to set up a courtroom.
“It’s so interesting because you get to learn so much about different occupations that are still involved in the court system even if you don’t want to be a lawyer,” Frenship High School Student Adara Adams said. “This is still a great opportunity. So it’s for everyone.”
After the success this year, Carruth said she hopes to make this an annual event.
