Last week Mr. Law’s classroom was turned into a courtroom as his Business Law students battled it out during the mock trial of Logan Howell vs. Ben Floyd. This was a great hands-on experience, and collaboration by students and staff, to learn about the legal system and courtroom procedures! For more about the fictitious trial keep reading:
Howell, the plaintiff, was suing defendant Floyd for lost scholarship money and therapy costs he says were the result of an incident involving a backpack he purchased at Floyd’s store, Basement Bargains.
During a K-9 drug sweep at school, a backpack in the plaintiff’s locker was found to contain drugs. The plaintiff claimed the drugs were not his and must have been in the bag when he purchased it the day before at Basement Bargains. Despite claiming his innocence, the plaintiff was arrested for possession of a controlled substance. The arrest led to him being kicked off the tennis team, impeached from student council and removed from leadership roles in FBLA and their honors programs. His grades began to fail and he lost the scholarships he was awarded for college. He then began to suffer from depression and entered therapy.
Floyd, whose store is a second-hand thrift store, claimed he had purchased the bag at a garage sale with other various items. He said the bag had been inspected, per store policy, before offering it for sale. The defendant also said that normally he inspects items himself but was unable to on the weekend in question because of a large family gathering. He asked a manager to come in on Sunday to inspect the merchandise instead and place it on the shelves in preparation for the big Labor Day Sale the next day.
The legal teams delivered opening statements, conducted witness examinations and presented closing arguments in the presence of a judge and jury. The jury was comprised of students from Mr. Mercado’s leadership class. After hours of deliberation, the jury decided in favor of the defendant, Ben Floyd, who was absolved of any responsibility in this matter and is not liable for any damages suffered by the plaintiff.
Great job, Sabers!
