THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 29, 1994 TAG: 9406280105
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GREG GOLDFARB, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: 940629 LENGTH: Medium
But unless more volunteers step forward by August, a docent shortage may force cuts in the number of students who participate during the upcoming school year.
{REST} ``We're to the point that we're stretching ourselves too thin,'' said Reba McClanan, a court docent and former vice mayor. ``And we don't want to drop any of the high schools.''
From October to April each year, government and social studies teachers are invited to bring their classes to the city's Judicial Center on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. There, the teachers and two docents conduct the five-hour program.
Docents primarily serve as ``teaching guides,'' escorting the students through the city's courthouse complex, where other court officials teach the students about the judicial system.
The day begins with students reading scripts and playing roles in a mock criminal trial involving a hit-and-run drunken-driving accident. After that, the students watch General District and Circuit court proceedings. A jail tour follows lunch in the courthouse cafeteria.
Virginia Beach was the state's first city to institute a court docent program, said program director Leslie A. DuVall. It reached all six of the city's high schools: Bayside, Cox, First Colonial, Kellam, Kempsville and Princess Anne. Since then, Green Run, Salem and Tallwood high schools have joined the program, and the new Ocean Lakes High School will be added in the fall.
About 3,500 students - between 250 and 330 at each school - participate every year. Participation is limited to 35 students a day, so each school is allotted a certain number of visiting days based on the number of students.
However, if the program fails to lure more volunteers, the current docents will be forced to teach more classes, and the numbers of students taking part in the program will be pared.
``The whole thing would be cut,'' cautioned DuVall, a 5-year docent, who lives in Linlier with her husband, Randy, a civil trial attorney, and their two daughters.
DuVall said that the program, carrying the Circuit judges' endorsement, was formed by 30 lawyers' wives in the wake of a startling statewide survey that showed 90 percent of the state's high school seniors erroneously believed that a person was presumed guilty until proven innocent in a court of law.
``I found that to be very shocking,'' said DuVall, ``but I think that was probably true. A majority of people are ignorant of courts and laws and anything to do with that.''
Now people are bombarded with ``Court TV,'' around-the-clock news reports and detailed newspaper coverage of legal matters. Yet despite that exposure, DuVall estimates that 6 out of 10 people probably still are not aware that in a court of law, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
``Hopefully, things have changed and the results would not be as staggering,'' said DuVall.
Students who participate are marked ``absent'' from school for that day. Some students opt not to participate because of that policy, DuVall said, adding that she hopes it will be reviewed.
For the new school year, DuVall has signed up 16 docents, 15 of whom are women. She would like to have 10 or 12 more women and men.
Docents, who must be at least 18, receive two to three one-hour training sessions, which can be scheduled on a flexible basis. Docents do not need any formal education to volunteer, nor do they need to be married to lawyers. Some basic knowledge about how courts operate is helpful but not necessary, said DuVall.
Docents typically work one day a month, although that number could increase in the future.
In addition to the city's high schools, the docent program also covers Cape Henry Collegiate School, the Career Development Center and the Old Donation Center for the Gifted and Talented.
Call Leslie DuVall at 428-2429 for more information on the Virginia Beach Court Docent Program.
by CNB