Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry The jury of Warren Area High School students keeps eyes on witness Pat Smith (Ashleigh Deppen) as she testifies in Friday’s mock trial at Law Day.

Defendant Chris Archer, of New Columbia, was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury of her peers at Law Day on Friday.

Archer — portrayed by Autumn Hultburg — was convicted of manslaughter and hazing, but found not guilty of murder of the first and second degrees, for encouraging a fraternity pledge who was drunk and afraid of heights to climb the tower of Columbus University and hang the fraternity’s flag in what the jury concluded was a hazing incident. The pledge, Milan Jackson, fell to her death.

Warren County School District’s seniors, who did not have conflicts, were transported to Warren County courthouse for the event.

The afternoon jury of 12 Warren Area High School students had no trouble reaching a consensus on the manslaughter and hazing charges. Some were on board for the more serious charges, but not the entire panel.

Under time pressure, that was good enough for the court and Judge Gregory Hammond.

The attorneys for the event were Richard Laws, chief counsel at Northwest Bank, former McKean County District Attorney Ray Learn, and former Warren County First Assistant District Attorney Caleb Gnage, both of whom also work for Northwest.

The professional attorneys helped out with the trial and gave some preliminary instruction to student attorney volunteers Chris White, Andrew Enserro, and Connor Rosborough. “Some of the students are back here going to law school really quick,” Laws said.

Throughout the trial, each attorney questioned witnesses and raised objections.

The attorneys called five witnesses, including Archer/Hultburg herself. The prosecution witnesses were victim Milan Jackson’s long-time friend Pat Smith (Ashleigh Deppen), psychiatrist Dr. Alex Richards (Maribeth Miller), and fellow Phi Gamma pledge Tyler Johnson (Mariesa Clarke). The defense called Columbus University Dean Jesse Thomas (Troy Shattuck), surprise witness author Dr. Jordan Mitchell (Gnage sat in when there was no student prepared) and Archer, the defendant and president of Phi Gamma.

Closing arguments were made off the cuff by Learn and Gnage.

Learn’s objection to Gnage including information about the effects of alcohol was overruled.

After handing down the verdict, jurors asked Hammond how a juror determines who is lying and who is telling the truth. He said that is one of the key jobs of a juror and that it is up to each individual, although they can discuss it among themselves when the jury is out.

“People’s lives are at stake in a criminal trial,” Learn explained. “Reasonable doubt is the highest burden of proof that we have in the criminal justice system.”

“I would like to thank my Economics and Government teacher Mrs. (Melissa) Becker for putting together Law Day,” Hultburg said. “It was actually really exciting. It was not something that you get to do every day.”

There was a history lesson involved with the event.

Hammond talked about Judge Robert H. Jackson who was born in Spring Creek Township and went on to be a U.S. Supreme Court justice and the chief prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trial following World War II.

He also explained the assassination of Judge Allison Wade in 1954 by Norman Moon.

While Hammond joked with students about having seen them in the courtroom before, he did caution them at the end of the event.

“Use your heads,” Hammond said. “You have the world in front of you.”