Red Level students see law, order in courtroom

Published 5:12 pm Sunday, January 31, 2016

Red Level High School students got a chance to see a murder trial in real life on Thursday.

Social Science teacher Tori Adams said that they took the senior government class and the Future Business Leaders of America to watch the Clarence Norris trial.

Norris was on trial for the June 2012 murder of his brother Cleve Norris, who was found in the family barn with a gunshot wound to the chest from a .30-06.

The trial lasted over the course of three days, and the jury found Clarence guilty of murder in less than an hour.

“I always take seniors because it gives them an opportunity to experience the court system after they have learned about it in class,” she said. “Also it gives a real courtroom experience.”

Adams said that most students think the court system works like television shows, so this gives them an opportunity to really see how the legal system works.”

Adams said she always enjoys hearing the students give their verdict after listening to testimony.

“Unanimously, the students decided the defendant was guilty, and they were all rooting for Walt (Merrell, district attorney, who prosecuted the case),” she said.