"Jury of their peers" referred not to the defendant in a murder case in federal court Wednesday in Jefferson City, but to the prosecution and defense teams. The counselors, many of the jurors and many of the people who testified in the capital case were students from various Missouri high schools participating in the state's Constitution Project.
"It's a really important and crucial job," Sydney Coffee said of her role as a defense counsel in the faux murder case of one Missouri State Penitentiary inmate accused of killing another with a toothbrush sharpened into a weapon.
Coffee is a junior at Camdenton High School. She was one of about 250 students from 12 high schools, including Fulton High School, that participated in the Constitution Project's events Wednesday.
"The Constitution Project gives high school students exciting, hands-on experience in possible future careers that are integral to our Constitution and our nation's system of justice," Texas County Associate Circuit Judge Doug Gaston said in May when the announcement was made the state Supreme Court's Committee on Civic Education was once again seeking applicants for the statewide competition.
Gaston started the project six years ago at Houston High School. The project was initiated statewide in 2013.
This year's competition kicked off in September at the state Capitol, where students participated in mock House and Senate debates.
Students were also given a mock crime scene of murdered Andy Dufresne to investigate; film buffs might recognize that name as the main character in "The Shawshank Redemption."
Other students tried the case in mock court Wednesday, and still others reported about the case and trial as if they were journalists, all under the mentorship of local professionals.
Wednesday's trial was not an open and shut case. Students had to follow all the same procedures as real lawyers: determine a secure chain of crime scene evidence; gain permission from the judge to approach witnesses; and raise objections.
There were multiple "inmate" suspects, and the credibility of law enforcement officers and the evidence gathered came into question.
Ultimately, the legal teams had to leave the courthouse to make it to a closing reception in the Capitol Rotunda, before the verdict was announced.
However, experiencing the criminal justice process was more important than the outcome of the case, Coffee said, noting she hoped her client would be found not guilty. Either way, she added, she's definitely more interested in criminal defense as a profession.
"It turned out way better than I could have imagined," Coffee said of her participation.
Competitors in the project are chosen based on merit and interest in the disciplines of crime scene investigation, journalism and trial advocacy. Each community involved must pledge commitments from their school, local judges, law enforcement, media and attorneys in order to be chosen.
Winners at the team and individual level for each discipline are chosen; individual winners receive $1,000 scholarships from sponsoring organizations.
Statewide co-sponsors of the project include the Highway Patrol, Missouri Sheriffs Association, Missouri Police Chiefs Association, Missouri Press Association, Missouri Broadcasters Association and the Missouri Bar.
To learn more about The Constitution Project, visit www.courts.mo.gov/CivicEducation/constitutionproject/.