Florida Supreme Court Justice Lewis visits WBMS
BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com

Submitted Photo Florida Supreme Court Justice R. Fred Lewis (second from right) with: WBMS teacher Jackie Brown, Assistant Principal Will Nowling and Principal Conni Carnley.

Woodlawn Beach Middle School (WBMS) students recently went before a judge, but had committed no crime.

Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice R. Fred Lewis visited WBMS Jan. 26 on his way to Pensacola to recruit other judges and attorneys for an educational workshop. During his pit stop at the middle school, the West Virginia native visited Jackie Brown's gifted class, split the students into small groups and administered a hands-on learning experienced based on a real court case.

"It was a real life application of our legal system at work," said WBMS Principal Conni Carnley. "They saw the process and saw how it does apply to real life. It's not just some fictitious thing out of a book. I wouldn't mind having [Justice Lewis] back every year."

Students analyzed a case that dealt with the fourth amendment, a section of the constitutional bill of rights that protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures. Their particular case dealt with an anonymous tip that described a man at a bus stop who was thought to have a gun. The man was searched and a firearm was found.

Within their small groups, students were cast as judges and opposing attorneys who hashed out the details of the predicament. Students serving as mock judges were asked to weigh all sides of the issue objectively and cast judgment.

"I learned how the Supreme Court decides things," said eighth grader Aja Grooms, who served as a judge during the role-play scenario. "It was really hard to come up with a decision because there were so many facts and details. [The case] had several sides to it. You can search people for some things, but not every little thing. You have to ask yourself if you are searching them because of the way they look, or if you really think they are a threat."

Eighth grader and 14-yearold Mark Matechiuk also gained a new perspective on the complexities of the American court system.

"None of it is based on opinion," Matechiuk said. "You have to stick to what is there. Everyone had an opinion but you had to put it aside."

Brown said Lewis travels all over the state and that his goal is to get judges and attorneys out of the courtroom and into the classroom.

"Visiting the students of Woodlawn Beach Middle School and receiving the gracious hospitality of the people I met in Gulf Breeze and Santa Rosa County were heartening experiences," Lewis said. "But I was most excited about the enthusiasm of the students, teachers, and the principle and their obvious love of learning, because these visits are about the kids. They're not about a whitehaired old guy who happens to wear a black robe."