Three appellate judges in robes walked onto the auditorium stage at Amphitheater High School Tuesday morning, and the room of students knew it was their cue to quiet down and stand up.
Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two held oral arguments Tuesday in a murder case appeal in front of about 300 students, mostly seniors in government, economics and U.S. history classes.
Defense attorney Emily Danies and prosecutor Kathryn Damstra took turns arguing whether the trial court erred in allowing certain evidence into Juan Becerra’s 2018 trial. Becerra was convicted of murder, kidnapping and other violent felonies and was sentenced to life in prison.
The students had been getting ready for the hearing for a while, reading over the case and preparing questions, with government teacher Debbie VanSice.
The court has been hearing cases on the road, at local high schools and law schools for many years, says Chief Judge Garye Vásquez. They’ve visited several Pima County high schools and plan to visit every outlying county that Division Two covers to give people a chance to see the justice system up close.
“We make an effort to get out and interact with the community we serve,” Vásquez said.
The effort helps students and the public understand that the courts don’t always operate the way they are portrayed on TV and also to see that judges and lawyers are real people. Vásquez says they get feedback from teachers that the hearings make a meaningful impression on students.
After the arguments were over, the judges removed their robes and came out from behind the makeshift bench. Sitting back in their chairs, they took questions from the students about the justice system and what it’s like to be a judge, and they answered candidly.
Student Elizabeth Owens asked about the morality behind decisions judges make and whether that morality was subjective.
Vásquez answered that judges and lawyers play a role in the justice system, upholding laws that ideally reflect morality.
“We have the best system in the world,” he said. “And hopefully, if everybody does their job, the truth is going to come out.”
Senior Santiago Inclan, who wants to be a politician and even eventually run for president, said he could tell how interested his peers were leading up to the hearing.
“It gives us insight into how our justice system works,” Santiago said. “That’s really awesome. To me, it’s just amazing.”
