MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — A group of Monongalia County elementary students learned about the judicial system on Friday by stepping out of their classroom and into a courtroom.

Brookhaven Elementary School sent several fifth-grade classes to Monongalia County Circuit Court in Morgantown Friday morning where they took on the roles of judge, jury, prosecution, defense and even a bailiff during a mock trial of State v. Josie Wolfcryer.

The kids followed a script while being guided by Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Perri DeChristopher and Cindy Scott, along with several prosecutors, defense lawyers and the courtroom bailiffs.

“I hope they learn and understand that the court system is accessible to all of the kids and that the rules in court sometimes apply to the rules in life and that really, in court, everyone has a say because the jury got to vote today to have a say in what happens,” Judge DeChristopher said.

Some kids learned about being locked up in jail after a 12 News cameraman and the bailiff tried shutting the door of the holding cell with the students in it.

Acting Judge Aveny Nickel said sitting on the bench and wearing the traditional black robe during the trial taught her an important lesson, “how loud the gavel is.”