Students from the Government class in the Maries R2 High School in Belle were at the courthouse Tuesday. This event, sponsored by the MU extension office, provides the students with first hand experiences at the courthouse all day.
Visits include the clerk’s office, treasurer’s office, assessor’s office, collector’s office, driver’s license office, circuit court clerk’s office, and the sheriff’s office. Students get a presentation at each office by the elected officials and their office staff.
We always try to make it fun for the students. We began to day with Deputy Johnson & K9 Sgt Snitch conducting a narcotics search on a vehicle followed by an apprehension demonstration with K9 bite. We then provided the groups with a tour of the 911 communications center, booking room & jail, the interview/interrogation room, visitation area, and various office spaces. We also showed the students the various types of contraband we have located in vehicle searches, narcotics search warrants, and jail sweeps.
After lunch, the students meet in the courtroom to speak with the prosecutor, public defender, and associate judge Kerry Rowden. They discuss the court process, what each of their jobs are, how to become an attorney or work in the legal field, and we explain how the sheriffs office works with each of these offices.
To close our day out with the students, we provided them with a demonstration of our drone capabilities, discussed the legal uses of drones in law enforcement and let them see a flash bang deployed.