The U.S. District Court hosted the Mock Trial Team from Chaminade Julienne High School at the Walter H. Rice Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Dayton for a field trip Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024.

The Mock Trial Team watched a demonstration of a motion to suppress hearing in a federal courtroom. The students sat in the courtroom’s jury box as United States Magistrate Judge Caroline Gentry presided over a hearing where lawyers from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Public Defender’s Office and an FBI agent reproduced court testimony from a real case involving a search of a vehicle. The lawyers showed the students how they question witnesses, make objections, and argue their case in front of the court.

After the court demonstration, the students were able to ask the lawyers and the FBI agent questions about the law, their careers and what the students can do in their youth to prepare them for a successful future.

The students were able to explore the courtroom afterwards before being taken to naturalization ceremony. The students witnessed 42 people take the citizenship oath and become United States citizens.

Courthouses in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio hosts many students throughout the year to connect with the community it serves. The Court hopes the time spent with the students helps them take an interest in the roles and functions of the federal judiciary. Any school or organization interested in taking a trip to one of the Ohio Southern District courthouses should email OHSD-Civics@uscourts.gov.

The District Court would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Defender’s Office and the FBI for their participation in the event.