On Sept. 18, students and staff from EHS were bused to Godfrey to see two Illinois Supreme Court cases be deliberated.

The first case heard was a criminal case, People v. Morger, which concerned the First Amendment rights of convicted sex offenders. The other case was Dew-Becker v. Wu. This case was a civil case that involved money lost in a bet back in 2015.

The school was presented with this opportunity back in the spring when someone associated with the event approached principal Dennis Cramsey and two other teachers with the idea.

“I said immediately, absolutely we’re interested,” said Cara Lane.

The issue was, only 40 tickets were going to be provided, but after consideration, the other teachers involved decided to allow Ms. Lane to have the tickets and take students from her debate class and debate club.

There then was an attorney sent by the liaison that provided the tickets to inform the students about the cases they heard.

“We were able to engage so much more meaningfully as a result of having that prep experience,” said Ms. Lane.

Students did find the experience meaningful, it turns out.

“Most people don’t get the chance to see up close how the justice system works, but we did,” said junior Myles Jefferson.

Jefferson, a member of Ms. Lane’s debate class was given the opportunity to attend by her, his favorite teacher.

He wasn’t the only student who realized how unique the experience was.

“Not many people get to see how our judicial system works. It’s important to know how it’s brought about,” said senior Jake Hatcher.

This experience was the first of its kind, because the Illinois Supreme Court has now begun to move around the state and showcase what they do on a quarterly basis.

“This is my 17th year of teaching and I’ve never heard of anything like this before,” said Ms. Lane.