Federal Judges and Vampires Teach Student Rights, Wrongs

The vampire craze recently invaded a courtroom in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the last of a series of trial simulations.

High school teachers, some dressed as vampires, testified in a true-to-life trial simulation. Using a fictional but realistic scenario, the teachers posed as student vampires who posted a vampire-themed poem and related comments on the school’s “Facebook” page. School officials had the postings removed, setting off a courtroom clash over free-speech issues.

More than 500 teachers from across the nation participated in eight programs during the 2009-2010 academic year while in the nation’s capital under the auspices of the Close Up Foundation. The programs, hosted by Chief Judge Royce Lamberth, were produced by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.

For more information about arranging for a program at local federal courthouses, high school government teachers should contact National Outreach Manager Rebecca Fanning, at aogrp_outreach@ao.uscourts.gov.

From www.uscourts.gov.