Fourth Grade Social Studies Lesson: Understanding the Judicial System and Justice, Study notes of Theatre

Download Fourth Grade Social Studies Lesson: Understanding the Judicial System and Justice and more Study notes Theatre in PDF only on Docsity! A Fourth Grade Social Studies Lesson Mrs. Anton’s class April 23, 2008 CLASSROOM TO COURTROOM Vocabulary Judicial branch: The branch of government that decides if people are following the law. *Judicial means “judging.” Civil case: A conflict involving large amounts of property or money. Criminal cases: A case where the act is considered harmful to others and is against the law. Usually is punishable by fine, imprisonment, or community service. Misdemeanor: A crime that is not very serious. Example: Traffic violations Felony: An offense more serious than misdemeanor. Example: Armed robbery or murder Defendant: A person, or people, who is accused of criminal offenses. Example: the bank robbers Plaintiff: A person who starts a legal case against someone else. Example: North Carolina in this case. Jury: A group of citizens that listen to both sides of a case. Citizens can be randomly called to “jury duty.” It is a way to participate in civic affairs. *Today, all of you will be acting as members of a jury for our armed-robbery case! Bank Robbery Facts Use observation and listening skills during the video to answer these questions. Where did the robbery take place? ___________________________________________ When did it occur? April ____, 2008, at approximately ______p.m. Were the robbers holding guns? (circle one) Y N Who committed the crime? What did they look like? Give specific details! ______________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ How much money did they take? __$____________ Since this was an armed robbery, it is considered a ___________. After the video answer this question: How does the bank robbery affect other citizens? What kind of citizens do you think the robbers are? ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FOURTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR FORSYTH COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, Plaintiff, -v- CASE NO. 99-666-CF SALLY NOBODY and JANE NOTHING. Defendants. STATEMENT OF FACTS At 5:28 pm on April 15, the defendants, Sally Nobody and Jane Nothing, entered the Friedman Wilson Bank on the campus of Wake Forest University. The defendants were dressed in all black clothing with stockings covering their faces. They walked right up to the bank counter with small guns and demanded all of the bank’s cash. The bank teller nervously put money in the bags given to him by the robbers and handed them back. The defendants took the money and ran out of the bank. The police responded to a 911 call placed by the bank after the robbery and took the bank’s inside and outside security camera tapes. Officers were able to identify the defendants from the footage on the tapes. The defendants were brought in to court on one count each of armed robbery, which is a felony in the state of North Carolina. The entire amount of money stolen has been recovered and returned to the Friedman Wilson Bank. During the hearing of the case at Vienna Elementary School in Pfafftown, North Carolina, the people of the state of North Carolina attempted to bring justice to the community of the Friedman Wilson Bank. The prosecution alleges that the defendants stole $200,000 in cash from the bank and demand they return the money as well as face criminal consequences, which would involve bank time. The lawyers showed evidence that attempted to prove their guilt, including a stocking worn during the robbery, footage from the security tapes at the bank, and one of the bags used in the crime that was found in one defendant’s home. The defendants argued that they were not guilty. Their lawyer called up a witness that saw the defendants in their Science class at the time of the robbery. It is now up to the jury made up of citizens of Forsyth County in North Carolina to decide on the nature of the citizenship of the defendants. Worksheet from: Lukes, Jessica and Weiss, Carrie. Step into the Courtroom: An Overview of Laws, Courts, and Jury Trials. Dandylion Publications, 2003.