THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 26, 1994 TAG: 9410250086
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA McNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ask a lot of questions but recently some seventh-graders at Smithfield Middle School had a chance to turn the tables. They cross-examined the officials.
Circuit Judge Westbrook Parker, responding to a student's questions, said he has avoided watching television coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial and seldom reads about it in the news media simply because everybody these days wants his opinion of the highly publicized double-murder trial.
Private citizens are entitled to use no more force than reasonably needed to protect themselves or others from perpetrators, according to Sheriff Charles W. Phelps, answering another student's query.
District Judge Robert Edwards told the youngsters he has been collecting a list of T-shirt sayings for years, like, for example, the T-shirt that declared ``Some will; some won't; some do; some don't. I might.'' The shirt was worn by a man accused in his court of assault and battery.
Clerk of the Courts William Laine said he believes that the death penalty, in Virginia, is impractical because of the endless appeals allowed.
``I don't believe the death penalty is a serious deterrent, and that's what it's meant to be,'' Laine said.
And others on the panel, comprised of law enforcement officials and individuals involved with the judicial system in Isle of Wight, agreed.
``I have no moral objections to the death penalty,'' Commonwealth's Attorney Parker Councill said. ``But it is not capable of being efficiently administered.''
The question-and-answer session was part of a class study unit on law and justice for sixth- and seventh-graders enrolled in Sandra Councill's SEARCH classes for gifted and talented students.
The teacher didn't have far to search to find a panel leader. She recruited her husband, Parker Councill, and he asked a few of his friends to answer the students' questions about the law and the court system.
Guests on the panel included Laine, Phelps, Edwards, Parker, public prosecutor John Robins, Smithfield Police Chief Mark Marshall and parole officer Wayne Luke.
The students have been working on the law and justice unit for several weeks, Sandra Councill said. They have seen a lie detector test demonstrated by local expert Andy Casey, followed Simpson's trial and researched the local judicial system.
And they were obviously thirsty for more knowledge when the law panel visited their classroom.
``How long does parole last, and what usually are the priorities for parole?'' one student wanted to know.
``I want to go into law,'' another student said. ``How long did each of you go to school and what school did you attend?''
``Who would you punish more: somebody who killed a police officer or somebody who killed a regular citizen?''
One of the most interesting answers came from Judge Parker in reply to a question about the panel members' most interesting experience:
``There was a man in Suffolk once who called himself the Prince of Jamaica,'' Parker said. ``He was a boxer, I think, and he beat a girl up and really hurt her. Before he was to go on trial, we got a letter from somebody in Jamaica who claimed to practice voodoo. The letter said, if the Prince was convicted, heads would roll in the courtroom.''
Court officials called in extra deputy sheriffs to stand duty during the Prince's trial, Parker said, but none of them ever saw any heads rolling down the aisles.
``There is always something interesting going on in court,'' Judge Edwards said.
The students will get to see some court action for themselves, when they sit through a criminal trial in the Isle of Wight Circuit Court this week, Sandra Councill said.
``We're also going to be talking with a handwriting expert to see what he does in court cases,'' the teacher said. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Sheriff Charles Phelps is ready to answer a question and student
Bryant Warren has one.
by CNB