(Top left: Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson, played the role of a witness - a teacher at the defendant’s school - during the virtual mock trial for third grade students across Kansas and the U.S. on Constitution Day on Wednesday. Top right: Judge Robert J. Wonnell, of the 10th Judicial Court of Johnson County, introduced dignitaries and presided over the mock trial. (Photos: Screenshots of virtual mock trial and introduction)

An estimated 17,000 third grade students across the U.S., including those in Kansas, celebrated Constitution Day on Wednesday, Sept. 17. 

Judge Robert J. Wonnell of the Kansas 10th Judicial Court, in Olathe, created a mock trial to highlight the day, Sept. 17, 1787, when the U.S. Constitution was signed by delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, overseen by George Washington who became the first U.S. President in 1788.  

“(It’s) one of the most important documents in the world,” Judge Wonnell said of the U.S. Constitution to the online audience. 

The event included remarks from several notable figures from the legal and political spheres, including Chief Justice Marla Luckert of the Kansas Supreme Court, who called on the students to “take up the call to act fairly and treat everyone with respect.” Other guests included U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas and Gov. Matt Meyer of Delaware, a former public school math teacher.  

The mock trial portion of the virtual event started with Judge Wonnell describing the U.S. Constitution’s preamble and Bill of Rights, including the 6th Amendment rights afforded to criminal defendants, including the right to a speedy trial by an impartial jury of their peers. 

The trial featured the case, State v. Johnson OPS 233, where a student, Elena Johnson, was accused of running in the hallways of her school between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., a violation “considered a Class C level crime, and the consequence shall not exceed five days of cleaning the hallways.” 

A prosecutor and defense attorney provided opening statements, each called witnesses to bolster their arguments. One of the witnesses was Kansas Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson, who played a teacher at the defendant’s school. His testimony and that of three other witnesses centered mostly around whether the defendant was wearing Kansas City Chiefs clothing on the day of the alleged crime.  

Once the testimony concluded, Judge Wonnell instructed the third grade “jurors” to deliberate for five minutes and decide whether the defendant was guilty or not guilty by selecting a button on their screens. Elena was found not guilty.  

Judge Wonnell thanked the students for “exercising your responsibility under the Constitution…and for being a fair and impartial juror.” He also answered a couple of questions that had been submitted to him, including, “who is the most important person in the courtroom?” to which he answered, “it’s you, as a member of the public.” He was also asked, “what does it take to become a judge?” 

“Love justice and be ready to be fair to all people,” he said. 

Lynne Sheffield, a third grade teacher at Olathe USD 233’s Forest View Elementary, played a key role in the Constitution Day event which was aligned with Kansas’s third grade standards for history, government and social studies. 

In addition to USD 233, several other entities were involved in the planning of the virtual mock trial including the 10th Judicial District of Johnson County and the Kansas Supreme Court.