This civics competition lets high school students have their day in court

""We contend that the search of Carmen Bundy's phone," Khedr says, "was a clear violation of her Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures." And so begins a day-long trial in New York City. Though in this case, the prosecutor is a high school senior from Staten Island. It's all part of an annual moot-court competition, and students from more than 30 city high schools have been researching and preparing their cases for weeks."

"The justices are Fordham University law students, and their ruling will carry not the weight of law, but instead an important lesson in how government works. For many young people, the legal system is a black box: They know what goes in and what comes out, but few have any knowledge of what goes on the room where it happens. This program now in its 41st year seeks to change that as a part of a city-wide civics curriculum."

"As a result, the student is summoned to the assistant principal's office for questioning. While inside the room, the school resource officer searches her phone, but does not read her Miranda rights. Khedr makes the case that the search was unlawful, while Brianna Mojica, a senior at New York's High School for Law, Advocacy and Community Justice, argues that the meeting wasn't really an interrogation."

A day-long moot-court trial in New York City features high school seniors arguing constitutional issues about a phone search. A student prosecutor contends the school resource officer violated Fourth Amendment protections by searching a student's phone without reading Miranda rights. The defense argues the meeting with the assistant principal and officer was not a custodial interrogation. Fordham University law students act as justices and issue a nonbinding ruling. More than 30 city high schools participate after weeks of research and preparation. The program operates in its 41st year as a citywide civics curriculum designed to reveal courtroom processes and teach students about legal rights and government functions.

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